


Winning Over Mr. Independent

by HIKARIYUKIX



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Drama, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Comedy, an actual mess, daycare teacher Soonyoung, fashion industry, gyuhan, single dad Wonwoo, soonwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-04-27 08:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 98,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14421375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HIKARIYUKIX/pseuds/HIKARIYUKIX
Summary: There are two types of people in the world, those who lead and those who followed. Yoon Jeonghan was the former, never the latter. He liked being in control and he liked having authority which was exactly why he was good at his job. So when the company CEO suddenly asked him for a favour, he was all too eager to please. He just didn't expect that favour to be playing babysitter to his twenty-five year old son, Kim Mingyu.





	1. An Unexpected Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [95zSoulmate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/95zSoulmate/gifts).



There were two things that Yoon Jeonghan liked, structure and routine. He liked having everything in his schedule to be premeditated, hence, he hated surprises. The twenty-seven year old looked down at his wristwatch and gave a satisfied nod, it was exactly ten in the morning, he was on schedule, perfect. He quickly adjusted his tie in the reflection of the elevator wall and dusted off the nonexistent lint on his freshly dry-cleaned Armani pinstripe suit and got off on the top floor. Jeonghan ran a hand through his short perfectly quaffed chestnut locks and straightened the small decorative vase on the reception desk as he walked by -- he really disliked asymmetry. The CEO was returning from his trip to Tokyo in exactly ten minutes and Jeonghan refused to have even one thing out of place.

"Have someone bring a long black with two sugars to Mr. Kim's desk in five minutes, I want it no less than boiling and make sure everything in his office is lined up straight," Jeonghan said as the CEO's secretary ran over to take notes.

"Anything else, Jeonghan-shi?" The young woman asked as she adjusted her cat-eye rimmed glasses.

"Make sure everyone cleans up their work space, the boss hates clutter," Jeonghan said as he looked down at his watch. "Everything must be perfect, no excuses."

"Of course," the woman scurried away, her low kitten heels clacking against the polished marble floors -- yes, they had marble floors.

Jeonghan walked over to his office and scanned the interior before fixing the plaque that sat askew on his desk identifying him as the Chief Operations Officer -- or COO if you didn't want to bother with the mouthful. The brunette felt his lip twitch at the sight of his name engraved on the piece of metal. Working his way to top hadn't been easy, it had taken a whole lot of perseverance and sleepless nights. He'd joined the company young, fresh faced and starry-eyed but the cut-throat corporate life quickly changed that. Jeonghan was the typical post-graduate looking for an entry level job when he was hired. He'd done all the coffee runs and he'd spent late nights finishing work that wasn't his to do. Jeonghan had been left to handle all the paperwork since his superior knew that he was desperate to keep his job and was willing to do anything -- even if it wasn't part of his job description. After all, Jeonghan had a younger brother to put through university and bills to pay on top of his massive student loan. He was desperate for money and he was willing to take shit from his superiors as long as he got his paycheck.

The sleepless nights and piled up work was his life for the first year working for 'RQ&S Apparel' until the CEO found out the Chief Operations Officer at the time was taking advantage of his position. Jeonghan had forgotten to sign the paperwork using his superior's name, needless to say he was immediately called to the head honcho's office the minute things came to light. Jeonghan had expected the worst, he'd pre-packed all of the things on his desk into a box and was already sending out resumés. To his surprise he didn't get fired, instead he got a promotion and a pat on the back. Apparently he'd been doing a better job than the actual Chief Operations Officer. It was a rather unconventional way of climbing the corporate ladder but he wasn't complaining, he landed himself a high paying job and a title that would've taken a lifetime to reach. He'd hit the jackpot and he was very reluctant to throw it away.

Jeonghan checked his watch a second time and nodded as he mentally prepared himself for the arrival of their company CEO. Kim Sanghoon wasn't an unreasonable man but he was particular, especially when it came to the state and appearance of his work space. The man hated unsightly things and by unsightly that meant anything that was aesthetically unappealing. He expected everyone in the office to be presentable, not a hair out of place and god forbid someone wear anything from last season. Jeonghan had never been one to care about what he wore but working for 'RQ&S Apparel' forced him to care. Their company was all about catering the youth, specifically those belonging to the eighteen to twenty-five age bracket. Edgy, modern and new were their aesthetic -- not at all what Jeonghan liked but again, it wasn't about what he liked, it was about delivering what their target demographic were looking for.

"Can someone get those awful beige blinds replaced? Are we a fashion brand or a dentist's office? I want every one of those atrocious things removed and fire whoever chose to have those put up in my building," a low and gruff voice echoed through the space. "I want those blinds covered in cement and thrown into the Han River."

"Sir," Jeonghan greeted his superior.

Kim Sanghoon was a tall man, he was very much the living embodiment of the term silver fox. His short hair had greyed at the sides but the rest of his charcoal locks were slicked back revealing a severe widow's peak. From his tailored suit to the scent if his cologne, the man screamed money. Though the man had an array of lines adorning his face, Jeonghan could tell he was once a handsome young lad but being the head of a company had aged him prematurely -- anyone would succumb to age if they had the burden on a whole company on their shoulders.

"Jeonghan, my boy," Sanghoon draped an arm around Jeonghan's shoulders and lead him into his office.

Unlike his own work space, the CEO's private space held an authority that made visitors feel nervous without knowing why. The entire back wall was a solid pane of glass that overlooked Seoul while a single black desk occupied the room. The slate grey walls and the leather furniture with their simple straight angles and all too perfect symmetry somehow looked...intimidating. Jeonghan watched the older man pick up the coffee sitting on his desk and took a sip before giving a satisfied look. He sat down on his swivel chair and placed his elbows on his desk before turning his attention to Jeonghan.

"Tell me, how is everything going since I've been gone?" Sanghoon said.

"Stock value has gone up, our winter collection is due to launch after we sell the remaining stock of our fall collection and our venture into footwear is underway," Jeonghan answered. "We're still discussing whether to start with women's or men's footwear but the statistics are pointing toward women's. There's more room for profit if we go in that direction. We've narrowed the list of potential collaborators in terms of design but we haven't come to a final decision as of yet."

"Good," Sanghoon gave Jeonghan a round of applause, the man looked pleased. "You've gotten everything done, as expected."

"Just doing my job, sir," Jeonghan took a seat in one of the two chairs opposite his boss's desk. "You also mentioned needing my help yesterday in your email, may I ask what it is?"

"Ah, yes," Sanghoon sighed. "About that."

"Is it serious?" Jeonghan cocked a brow, he was genuinely curious. His boss never had an issue making demands.

Before Sanghoon could reply the intercom on his desk gave a beep.

"Yes?" Sanghoon pressed down the answer button.

"Your son is here, sir," the woman on the intercom announced.

"Send him in," Sanghoon said before looking over at Jeonghan.

"Your son? Wasn't he supposed to be in the United States for schooling?" Jeonghan shifted in his seat.

"He finally graduated," Sanghoon informed. "It was about time, I was getting sick of waiting. He could've easily finished his masters degree here but he decided to be difficult."

"Can you just let it go? I've finished my schooling, does it really matter which country I get that fancy piece of paper from?" A low voice said from the office entrance.

Jeonghan pivoted in his chair, his eyes immediately met with those of a tall young man dressed in a dark grey suit. The man didn't have a necktie and his dress shirt was unbuttoned low enough to reveal a sunkissed collarbone. The man's face was made up of all sharp angles from his jawline to his cheekbones. His unwavering gaze was so much like Sanghoon's.

"You finally decided to show up, not a great start, Kim Mingyu," Sanghoon didn't look all too impressed. "And yes, it does matter where you get your degree from because I paid for it."

"You're hiring pretty boy assistants now?" Mingyu looked over at the brunette who sat opposite his father's desk.

Jeonghan frowned, the man lost all his charm the minute he opened his mouth.

"Allow me to introduce you, this is our company's Chief Operations Officer, Yoon Jeonghan," Sanghoon gave Jeonghan an apologetic look. "He's not my assistant but he _is_ going to be your confidant at this company until you can stand on your own two feet."

"What?" Jeonghan and Mingyu admonished as they looked at the older man.

"Sir," Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"I know it's a little sudden but I trust in your abilities. I want you to show Mingyu the ropes, get him familiarised with everything. Take him under your wing and give him a helping hand," Sanghoon clasped his hands together on his desk.

"Dad, I graduated with honors. I don't need a babysitter, I know what I'm doing," Mingyu argued.

"In theory," Sanghoon retorted. "You've never worked a day in your life, Kim Mingyu. This is the real deal, not an internship or an exam. Every move you make can either push us forward or pull us back. I don't want to hear any refusals from you."

"Sir, I really don't think I'm the right person for this job," Jeonghan protested.

"Nonsense, you're perfect for it. You know this company inside and out," Sanghoon waved off Jeonghan's protest.

"Sir, I have a lot on my plate right now, I need to handle the winter promotional campaign as well as the new footwear venture," Jeonghan persisted.

"Perfect, let Mingyu join you. It's the perfect way for him to familiarize himself with the whole process and gain some experience," Sanghoon wasn't taking no for an answer.

"What if I refuse?" Mingyu challenged his father.

"Then you'll have to say goodbye to your trust fund and find yourself a job on your own," Sanghoon narrowed his eyes at his son. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way, you may be my son but in this building I'm your boss."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mingyu's jaw dropped.

"Oh I'm dead serious, my boy. There are plenty of people who can fill your shoes, you're not a special little snowflake, people with business degrees are dime a dozen," Sanghoon leaned back in his chair. "Be a good boy and do as I say."

"Lead the way," Mingyu turned to Jeonghan, the taller man's face was stiff and his jaw was pulled tight.

"Have fun," Sanghoon smiled at the two as they exited the room.

Once they were out of earshot Jeonghan immediately found his path being blocked off by a rather unamused looking Mingyu. The man didn't look happy and neither was Jeonghan.

"Did you want to start with a tour of the building?" Jeonghan cocked a brow, if the boss's son was trying an intimidation tactic it wasn't working.

"That can wait," Mingyu said, his eyes bored into Jeonghan's. "First I want to know what you did to land the COO position. Who'd you sweet talk? Who'd you sleep with and what blackmail have got on my old man that he'd give you such a high title?"

Jeonghan gritted his teeth.

"What makes you think I did anything unethical to get to where I am?" Jeonghan stayed calm, well, he was trying.

"You're too...pretty, I don't buy it," Mingyu's eyes travelled down the length of Jeonghan's body, the perfectly tailored lines of his suit hugged the man's body all too well.

"I need you to change your adjectives," Jeonghan said as he motioned for Mingyu to follow. "Don't ever use the word pretty in my presence."

Mingyu followed along as Jeonghan lead him down a wide corridor lined with floor to ceiling glass cubicles filled with small groups of people. Each group had an array of pictures and fabric swatches laid out on long tables. Jeonghan stopped in front of one of the glass panels and pivoted to face Mingyu.

"This is the creative department, all the people you see here are in charge of designs for all of our collections. Think of them as the heart of this company, without them we have nothing -- we can't function," Jeonghan explained. "Since you're going to be under my care, it's best if you get to know the people in this department. There are some colourful characters here, don't let that deter you."

Just as Jeonghan began walking again he immediately jerked back. The brunette turned to see Mingyu's larger hand clamped around his wrist, the man's face held an expression that could only be described as a mix of frustration and curiosity.

"You didn't answer my question earlier, how'd you get the position?" Mingyu tightened his grip.

"I don't have to answer to you," Jeonghan simply answered as he yanked away from Mingyu's grip.

"Ah, so you did pull some shady shit," Mingyu scoffed.

"Again, I don't have to answer to you," Jeonghan rolled his eyes as he continued leading the way through the building.

Jeonghan felt a dull pulsing at his temples and the back of his head. He could feel the early stages of a migraine begin to rear its head, it was only ten-thirty in the morning -- far too early to already be getting a migraine. He cleared his throat and proceeded with the tour, after all he was a professional. As long as Mingyu kept his opinions to himself they'd do just fine.

* * *

 

Mingyu stood at the end of the corridor as he stared at Yoon Jeonghan. His eyes followed the brunette as he talked to a woman who held out a binder while the man read over the document he was presented with. Mingyu still had reservations regarding their company COO, the man just didn't fit in with the image he'd created in his head. When his father had suggested letting the COO take Mingyu under his wing, he'd imagined Yoon Jeonghan to be an old man with thick glasses, a comb over and reeking of old cigarettes. What he got was a handsome young man with baby smooth skin and a full head of hair, like, what the fuck?

"Are you planning on staring at me the whole day, Kim Mingyu?" Jeonghan asked as he signed the papers in his hands.

"Fuck," Mingyu cursed under his breath, he got distracted.

"Since you have so much free time on your hands, why don't you join me? You might learn something," Jeonghan handed his pen back to the woman beside him and turned on his heel, the brunette threw a look over his shoulder at Mingyu.

Mingyu bit the inside of his cheek but followed the COO. He trailed after Jeonghan watching the way the man's legs moved with every stride, despite being shorter than himself, Jeonghan's legs looked like they went on forever. Mingyu quickly diverted his eyes when he realised he was staring at the older man's rear. He mentally kicked himself, he needed to control his dick.

"Come in," Jeonghan held the door to his office open.

Mingyu stepped inside the space and immediately sniffed the air, it smelt...clean. His dark eyes wandered around the room taking in the minimalist interior before fixating on a photograph on the man's desk. It depicted a rather chipper looking Jeonghan with another man whose face was far too close to the brunette's to be just a friend. Mingyu immediately shook himself, he was being nosy -- he needed to stop.

"Have you dealt with business proposals before?" Jeonghan asked as he closed the door to his office and walked over to his desk.

"Well, I know the theory behind it," Mingyu said.

"So no?" Jeonghan removed his jacket and draped it on his chair.

"Well...no," Mingyu finally admitted, he was fresh out of school, he was book smart, he hadn't applied that knowledge to the real world yet.

"So tell me, how would you approach a proposition?" Jeonghan looked at the younger man with arms folded.

"In the most ethical way possible, obviously. Anything other than that would be bad for business," Mingyu answered.

"Well you're in for rude awakening," Jeonghan chuckled. "What you were taught in school versus what happens in this business are two very different things."

"How so?" Mingyu's brow furrowed.

"Some of the worst criminals of our time are wearing suits," Jeonghan said. "Money makes the world go round, Kim Mingyu."

"That's exactly what my old man says," Mingyu frowned, he didn't like where the conversation was going.

"The act of bribery is a known practice in this line of work, bribery may be looked down upon from an outsider's perspective but it ensures that we get what we want," Jeonghan sighed, there was no sugarcoating it.

"So you're telling me that bribes are the only way of doing things around here?"

"No, it's not the only way but it does shorten the process and it makes all of our lives easier. First and foremost our main priority is profit, even your father can tell you that. You may not like hearing this but money is our main objective, keeping this company afloat is my job even if it means I have to get my hands dirty," Jeonghan clasped his hands together.

"Then why not just spare a little more time and do things the right way? It might take longer but you'll eventually get the same result," Mingyu argued.

"Your father doesn't like waiting," Jeonghan said. "Immediate gratification is how your father likes things to be, again, I'm just doing as I'm told."

"You look like you don't mind it in the slightest," Mingyu accused.

"He's my boss," Jeonghan countered. "Who am I to question his authority. I may be in charge of many aspects of this company but at the end of the day I still have to answer to your father. You don't bite the hand that feeds you, that would be stupid, would it not?"

"You're not going to change your stance, are you?" Mingyu guessed.

"No," Jeonghan answered.

"What if I don't abide by the rules?" Mingyu challenged.

"Then we both have to face the wrath of your father, whatever move you make immediately affects my reputation with the man," Jeonghan said. "You may see this as an opportunity to get me in trouble but let me make this clear, I am very good at my job and if I lose my position here the whole company will suffer."

Mingyu gritted his teeth. He watched the brunette pull open a drawer behind his desk and pull out a black necktie. Mingyu swallowed as Jeonghan stepped over toward him with the long strip of fabric in his hands. Mingyu flinched when he felt the brunette's hands fiddle with the buttons on his shirt. Jeonghan buttoned his shirt all the way up and proceeded to do the younger man's tie for him. Mingyu stood uncomfortably still, the brunette's face was too close. The shorter man smelt so fresh, like jasmine -- he'd expected something stronger but the subtle scent was a pleasant surprise.

"In this business, image is everything. A tie is a must, Kim Mingyu, not an option," Jeonghan said as he looked up at the younger man.

Mingyu swallowed as the brunette fixed his collar.

"I'll see you at ten o'clock sharp tomorrow morning, don't be late. You and I need to set some ground rules," Jeonghan said as he opened the door to his office.

"Why did you agree to assisting me if you dislike it so much?" Mingyu tugged at his neck, he felt so restricted.

"I didn't," Jeonghan replied with a blank face. "Babysitting you was never my choice but I can't always have things go my way -- which is a shame. Follow my lead and we won't have any problems."

Mingyu watched the brunette walk away down the hall before slamming his palm against the wall. Yoon Jeonghan was infuriating, the fact that he was so flustered over the shorter man only added to Mingyu's annoyance. They'd only just met and already the older man was slowly crawling up his list of dislikes. Mingyu clutched at the tie around his neck and turned over the fabric to see the Hugo Boss logo and the letters 'Y' and 'J' monogrammed on the silky surface. Mingyu stared at the letters for a brief moment before he straightened the piece of fabric. He had to remind himself to stay level-headed, two could play at that game. He just needed to play nice until his dad gave him a real position at the company. He wasn't going to let the pretty man get the better of him.

* * *

 

"Dokyeom, you home?" Jeonghan shut the door to his condo using his elbow as he carried paper bags in each hand.

"Hey, hyung!" Dokyeom, his younger brother greeted from the living room floor.

The university student had his laptop open on the fluffy beige rug while a textbook was perched in his lap. The younger boy's eyes were squinted in concentration while a blue highlighter was tucked behind his ear. Jeonghan smiled at the sight of his younger brother, the boy was so very engrossed in his studies. The brunette set down the paper bags on the kitchen counter and removed his coat before draping it on the back of the sofa. He kicked off his shoes by the door and quickly rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Jeonghan let out a contented sigh the minute he pulled his tie off his neck and proceeded to bringing the paper bags over to the coffee table in the living room.

"What's for dinner?" Dokyeom's sniffed the air as Jeonghan began unpacking the food.

"We're having Thai," Jeonghan answered.

"Thai? A little fancy for a meal on a weekday," Dokyeom said.

"I can afford things like this now," Jeonghan ruffled the boy's hair. "Let me spoil you a little."

"You really don't have to, you know. I have no complaints," Dokyeom closed his textbook.

"I'm not letting you go back to eating instant ramen five days out of a week," Jeonghan passed Dokyeom a pair of chopsticks.

"Thanks, hyung," the younger boy smiled at his older brother opened the various containers of food. "How was work?"

"Same old, same old," Jeonghan answered as he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. "A headache as usual but what else is new?"

"Your look tired," Dokyeom pointed out as he scooped himself some Pad Thai.

"I'm playing babysitter for the boss's son," Jeonghan said. "The guy's a straight up walking headache."

"How so?" Dokyeom asked between mouthfuls.

"The boy thinks he knows better just because he graduated from an ivy league school in the United States," Jeonghan answered. "Typical daddy's boy whose never worked a day in his life and had probably never been told no. I can't say for sure but that's the general vibe I'm getting from him."

"Are you sure you can handle him? After all, he is the CEO's son," Dokyeom's eyebrows knitted together in worry. "What if he tattle tales and gets you fired?"

"That won't happen," Jeonghan assured. "I make that company too much money, they wouldn't terminate me over something trivial like this. Kim Sanghoon wouldn't do something that stupid."

"If you say so," Dokyeom's chopstick clad hand fell limp on the table.

Jeonghan patted the younger boy's cheek. Despite moving from their dingy one room apartment into their current abode, his younger brother was still very concerned about their financial security -- and he had every right to. He and Dokyeom didn't come from money, no, they came from a household where everything was always lacking. Their father died of a collapsed lung at the premature age of forty-five because of his bad smoking habits and their mother became an alcoholic after the man's passing. Ever since the woman disappeared on them in his senior year of high school Jeonghan had been the sole carer for his younger brother. They'd lived in some of the worst possible accommodations over the years, the most memorable one being an apartment so small they slept together on a futon in the living room because the bedroom's ceiling was growing dangerous amounts of mold.

"Hey," Jeonghan touched his younger brother's hand. "You don't have to worry about a thing, alright? I've got everything under control, money's not a problem anymore and if I lose this job I can easily find another one. Don't underestimate my tenacity."

"I won't," Dokyeom smiled as Jeonghan spooned him more food. "So what are you going to do about the boss's son?"

"I'm not too sure but I think it would be fun to rustle his feathers," Jeonghan winked as he enjoyed a mouthful of rice.

"Please tell me you're not planning on picking fights with the boss's son," Dokyeom shook his head.

"I'm not," Jeonghan feigned ignorance. "I'm just going to tease him a little."

Dokyeom sighed as he watched his older brother plotting something all the while shovelling mouthfuls of crying tiger beef. He loved his older brother but the guy's playful nature made him nervous -- specifically for the boss's son. He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating, he was wishing all the best for his brother's new target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK!~ HELLO beautiful Gyuhan shippers, I finished my assignments early and I am ready to give you more content because literally no one is writing about them. I'm genuinely sad whenever I visit the Gyuhan tag. Hope y'all enjoy this new story and I hope 95zSoulmate will be happy with how I'm writing up their prompt. ;A;


	2. A Difference of Opinion

Mingyu walked into the office with a coffee in hand and his phone in the other. He was supposed to meet Jeonghan at ten but it was already a good fifteen minutes past their scheduled meeting time. He knew it wasn't professional to keep the man waiting but it wasn't all completely his fault. The morning traffic was horrific and the barista at the coffee shop had forgotten his order. Mingyu quickly headed into the creative department and froze when he caught sight of the brunette.

Yoon Jeonghan was dressed in a navy blue suit that was fitted better than the previous day and his hair was effortless pushed back to reveal his forehead -- Jeonghan had a nice forehead. Mingyu slapped himself mentally, he needed to stop getting distracted by the man's looks. As Mingyu approached the older man he noticed Jeonghan was talking to someone just inside one of the meeting rooms. A taller man with fox-like eyes and round wire-rimmed glasses said something that made Jeonghan laugh. Mingyu frowned.

"Can I help you there?" The taller man's fox-like eyes fell on Mingyu.

Jeonghan also turned.

"Sorry I was late," Mingyu aplogised to Jeonghan.

"I'll see you at lunch, Wonwoo," Jeonghan said to the man with the fox-like features before he walked over to the boss's son.

"See you," Wonwoo said, the man gave Mingyu a look that was a mix between curiosity and caution.

"Follow me, Mingyu," Jeonghan said.

They walked over to one of the other meeting rooms where Jeonghan stepped aside to let Mingyu through first before he also entered. The brunette shut the door behind him and promptly urged for Mingyu to come closer. Mingyu did as he was told and just like yesterday, Jeonghan fixed his tie. As the brunette fiddled with the fabric, Mingyu couldn't help but sniff the man's hair, the smell was addictive.

"There are many ways you can do a tie," Jeonghan said. "But the only one I want you to do is a Windsor knot, no half-assing, Kim Mingyu."

"Why does that even matter? Isn't it good enough that I have a tie on?" Mingyu asked.

"Something as simple as the way you tie a tie makes all the difference between a professional and an amateur," Jeonghan explained. "Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"You mentioned we needed to set some ground rules yesterday, didn't you?" Mingyu asked as Jeonghan stepped over to take a seat at the table.

"Yes," Jeonghan nodded. "Take a seat, Mingyu."

Mingyu sat opposite the brunette.

"First and foremost, I'm just going to say this; I'm stubborn, I don't like sharing authority and I don't appreciate having decisions made without my approval," Jeonghan said. "My methods may sound rigid but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to take on ideas, I'm just doing what I can to benefit the company and if it means I have to burn some bridges to achieve it, I will do so accordingly."

"So basically you're in charge," Mingyu frowned.

"Correct," Jeonghan nodded. "But since your father insisted on your participation I'm willing to take a backseat in certain areas, I want to give you experience but I'm not going to hold your hand or spoon feed you, let me make that clear. This is a cutthroat business, Mingyu."

"Where do I start?" Mingyu asked, he was determined.

"The new footwear venture," Jeonghan pointed at the large magnetic board on the right side of the room. "This is the inspiration for the collection so far."

Mingyu stared at the colour and fabric swatches and noted the lack of colour on the board, it was just shades of muted beige and greys with a touch of black here and there. It was unoriginal, predictable and almost...boring. Jeonghan must've noticed the younger boy's face as he also frowned.

"Boring, isn't it?" Jeonghan cocked his head.

"Sorry to say but yes, it's...nothing special," Mingyu admitted.

"How would you do things differently?" Jeonghan asked.

"The minimalist aesthetic is really in right now, it's usually the footwear that makes a statement in an outfit nowadays. Having something so...bland just wouldn't really appeal to the demographic we're selling to."

"Great," Jeonghan clapped. "Then we're scrapping the current collection."

"What?" Mingyu's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"This'll be our first project," Jeonghan said. "You'll get to learn everything from square one."

"Aren't you being a little brash? I was just giving you an opinion," Mingyu's foot tapped nervously under the table.

"I had the same thought regarding the collection and your input just solidified my position," Jeonghan said. "Changes happen all the time, Mingyu. The spring collection from last year was one of our most successful projects to date and it was put together one month before the set release date. All because I wanted to change up the fabrics we used. You have to be willing to take risks."

"That's a little too risky," Mingyu said. "Does my dad know about this?"

"Of course he does," Jeonghan didn't like Mingyu's tone. "I wouldn't do something like that behind his back. I've built a great amount of trust with your father and I'd appreciate it if you didn't try and ruin that."

"Sorry," Mingyu said. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Does that apply to everything you said yesterday as well?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

Mingyu felt the vein on his forehead twitch.

"Moving on," Jeonghan turned his attention back to the board. "Since these ideas have been scrapped I think we'll have to decide on what new direction we want to take."

"Well isn't menswear the obvious choice? The male demographic are easier to appeal to, just slap on a passable design and a high price tag. Men are visual creatures, they'll buy it as long as it looks good," Mingyu said.

"I disagree," Jeonghan immediately retorted. "Our demographic have always been unisex but our biggest buyers have always been women. Where as menswear is easier to produce it also lacks in opportunity for expansion. There just isn't as much of a variety in mens footwear and I doubt the average conforming heterosexual male would wear a strappy heel in his daily life."

"Didn't you say that profit was our main priority? With the mens footwear we would save on production costs if they're all in the same uniform style."

"You're right in that regard but again, it would be repetitive and with repetition comes a loss of interest, why do you think our company does so well? We're constantly creating things that other brands don't have, we might not be a luxury brand but we have originality. It's what separates us from your average retailer."

"I stand by my opinion," Mingyu's tone was firm, he didn't study for six years only to be told no.

"I also stand by mine," Jeonghan countered.

"Then why don't you two boys put your heads together and do a unisex line?" Kim Sanghoon's low voice made both men turn their heads.

Jeonghan got out of his seat and bowed. Mingyu didn't bother, he gave his dad a curt nod as the older man came to sit in one of the empty chairs.

"Sir, with a unisex line we'd have to outsource another manufacturer to meet the demands and the release of this venture is scheduled for spring, that would mean we have to finalize everything earlier than the premeditated date," Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"Then you should start as soon as possible," Sanghoon said, the man didn't look at all phased.

"Dad, that's asking a lot," Mingyu's hand formed a fist under the table -- that was too much.

"I don't think so," Sanghoon protested. "You're working with one of the brightest minds at our company plus this'll be the opportunity to see what that prestigious ivy league education can do."

"Sir," Jeonghan felt his migraine coming back.

"I wish you both the best," Sanghoon got out his seat.

"What if it doesn't end up being a success?" Mingyu asked.

"I'm not accepting failure," Sanghoon gave his son a look over his shoulder before turning his attention to Jeonghan. "Especially from you, Yoon Jeonghan."

The two men watched the CEO disappear down the hall before they showed their true colours. Mingyu slammed his hand on the table causing several papers to fall on the ground. Jeonghan ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes before massaging his temples. The brunette pulled out his phone and speed dialled a number.

"Hello?" The deep voice on the other end answered.

"I'm cancelling for lunch, sorry Wonwoo," Jeonghan said.

"Why?"

"I have to perform a miracle," Jeonghan simply replied as he hung up, he dropped his phone on the table and turned to Mingyu.

"How do we do this?" Mingyu didn't look the least bit happy.

"Care to tell me your ideas?" Jeonghan asked, he had to push through -- he was a professional.

"The market's completely dominated by outlandish designs, I think we should put wearability before anything else," Mingyu said. "What's the point of aesthetic appeal if it isn't multifaceted?"

"Our demographic are the kind of people who are out to make a statement, they don't want something everybody else already has at the bottom of their closet or something they can find at a department store," Jeonghan argued.

"But the consumer also needs functionality," Mingyu retorted.

"I never said we couldn't produce something functional, I just think we should find a design first," Jeonghan narrowed his eyes.

"Why did you bother asking me if you weren't going to take any of my ideas on board?!" Mingyu shouted -- he'd reached the peak of his patience.

"Because none of your ideas are all that great, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan answered.

"According to you," Mingyu narrowed his eyes.

"Don't take this personally, I have the company and the consumer's best interest in mind," Jeonghan stood from his seat. "I have some other responsibilities to attend to, so excuse me. We'll pick up from where we left off tomorrow so I want to hear some better ideas from you by then."

"As if you're going to even consider them," Mingyu said under his breath.

Jeonghan shook his head as he walked away.

Mingyu finished the remainder of his coffee and lobbed the paper cup into a trash can in the corner of the room. He needed to go find his father. He got in the elevator and made his way up to the top floor and walked by the secretary before she could utter any form of protest. His dad looked up from his papers when Mingyu came in and quickly went back to focusing on his work. He didn't even acknowledge his son.

"Dad," Mingyu tried to sound neutral.

"Yes?" his father answered without looking up.

"I don't think this arrangement between me and Jeonghan is going to work out," Mingyu said as he sat down on the chair opposite his father's desk.

"Why not?" Kim Sanghoon arched a greying bushy brow.

"I just don't see how either of us are going to get anything done, our stances are just too different, nothing lines up," Mingyu said.

"Then you're going to have to compromise now, won't you?" His father said without an ounce of sympathy.

"Why are you so adamant about me working with that guy?" Mingyu could feel his temperature rising.

"If you can't handle working with Jeonghan, how are you going to handle working with difficult clients in the future?" Sanghoon set down his pen. "Jeonghan is not your enemy so don't treat him like he is."

"Well he definitely feels like one," Mingyu knew he was acting like a brat but he didn't care.

"I don't want to hear any badmouthing of Jeonghan from you, Kim Mingyu," his father shot him a look.

"You think that highly of him?" Mingyu was dumbfounded. "What kind of dirt does he have on you?"

"He didn't get his position through blackmail," Sanghoon said. "That "pretty boy" as you called him is the backbone of this company. He was the one completing all the previous COO's responsibilities while the real one was busy playing socialite."

"What?" Mingyu was genuinely surprised.

"Why do you think I decided to fire the previous one?" Sanghoon set his finished paperwork aside. "Yoon Jeonghan is the reason why you and I have been able to live such a comfortable existence, Kim Mingyu. I don't want you discrediting him just because you two don't get along. Swallow your pride and make some effort."

"So you're not letting me work by myself?" Mingyu deduced.

"No," Sanghoon answered with zero remorse. "Now go and get some work done, I'm a busy man."

Mingyu gave his dad a dissatisfied look as he stood. Sometimes it was hard to believe the man was actually his flesh and blood. Just as he passed the plant by the door he gave the pot a kick knocking over the plant and sending soil cascading onto the pristine carpet of his father's floor. The older man rolled his eyes at his son's antics but didn't bother scolding the boy, he didn't have the time to deal with his the twenty-five year old's bullshit.

* * *

 

Jeon Wonwoo, the head of Public Relations, stood by the water cooler as he watched a flustered Yoon Jeonghan walk over and grab a plastic cup. Wonwoo smiled in amusement as the man downed his cup of water before crushing the plastic vessel in his hand and flinging it into the small bin by their feet. Jeonghan didn't look happy.

"Care to tell me why you cancelled lunch?" Wonwoo cocked a brow as he slowly sipped his water.

"I thought Sanghoon was a handful but his son is ten times worse," Jeonghan sighed.

"Like father, like son," Wonwoo commented. "Any chance you'll be able to make it home by sundown?"

"I might have to stay back, what else is new?" Jeonghan shook his head at the reality that was his job. "What about you?"

"I need to pick up Siwoo from the daycare centre," Wonwoo frowned.

"Ah, right," Jeonghan patted his friend on the back.

Wonwoo had his four year old son to care for. Jeonghan sometimes forgot that his friend was actually a father. He'd met Wonwoo during his first day on the job, they were both young and had no idea what they were doing and had bonded over a mutual fear of failure. They'd been hired straight out of university and Wonwoo had a newborn to provide for since his girlfriend at the time had disappeared right after the baby was born. Jeonghan's respect for Wonwoo only grew after that -- not to mention the man's child was absolutely adorable.

"Siwoo's getting to that age where he's asking a tonne of questions," Wonwoo rubbed a hand over his face. "His favourite one right now is wondering where his mom is and it's not a question I want to answer."

"Parenthood sounds...stressful," Jeonghan commented.

"You have no fucking idea," Wonwoo laughed but there was no humour in it.

"I'd wish you all the best but at this point in time I think I need it more than you do," Jeonghan looked down at his watch.

"I'm available if you need a drinking buddy," Wonwoo said holding up his plastic cup.

"Instead of hanging out with me, why don't you try and find yourself a relationship? It's been four years, don't you think that's a long time to be alone?" Jeonghan asked his friend.

"The demand isn't very high for single fathers with baggage and a bad attitude, Yoon Jeonghan," Wonwoo countered.

"Will you stop with the self-depreciating? You're a good guy and a great father, so stop being such a negative Nancy," Jeonghan furrowed his brow. "You're being a little dramatic."

"I don't exactly have a great track record when it comes to relationships," Wonwoo threw his empty cup in the bin.

"You'll find someone," Jeonghan assured as he started to walk away. "You definitely will."

"You're the only person who thinks so," Wonwoo said under his breath as he too headed back to work -- he really wanted to believe Jeonghan's words, as much as he hated to admit it he was lonely.

* * *

 

Mingyu yawned as he made his way out of the creative department, after butting heads with a certain brunette he just couldn't get his creative juices flowing. He'd investigated their competitors and to his dismay, Jeonghan had been right. Their demographic were trendsetters, they thrived on statement pieces and focused on expressing individuality. Just as he was about to head for the elevator he noticed one of the meeting room lights were still on. Mingyu peeked through the glass panel and saw Jeonghan with his suit jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The brunette had a white board marker lid clamped between his teeth as he jotted down dot points on the whiteboard.

Mingyu kept quiet, he allowed his eyes to scan the board. Jeonghan had written down his suggestions from the morning on one side of the board while the other side was occupied by the brunette's own ideas. The man was creating a venn diagram, he was looking for an area of overlap. Mingyu felt the corners of his mouth pull into a smile.

"He's not your enemy," Mingyu whispered what his father said to him.

Mingyu gave the glass door a knock and walked into the room where Jeonghan looked at him through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that perfectly frames his doe-like eyes. The brunette gave Mingyu a questioning look as the younger man removed his own jacket and stepped over to look at the board.

"What are you doing?" Mingyu asked.

"Finding common ground between our ideas," Jeonghan answered looking at his own handiwork. "Since we can't decide on one solid direction, I'm willing to compromise for the sake of this project and my own sanity."

"Have you found any common ground?" Mingyu asked as he looked at the board.

"No, absolutely none," Jeonghan capped his marker and set it down on the table.

"You hungry?" Mingyu asked the brunette.

"Starving," Jeonghan answered.

"I'll order some food, you and I can work this out. Two heads are better than one right?"

"Hm," Jeonghan pursed his lips.

Mingyu shook his head at the brunette's doubtful expression as he called for his favourite Japanese delivery place.

"Yes, I'd like to order two deluxe shoyu ramens for delivery please," Mingyu said and immediately had the phone snatched from his hand.

"Make that just one shoyu ramen and one udon with shrimp tempura," Jeonghan said into the phone before passing it back to Mingyu.

Jeonghan smiled playfully at the taller man before turning his attention back to the whiteboard.

"You don't like ramen?" Mingyu asked as he hung up the phone.

"I prefer the texture of udon," Jeonghan answered.

"You and I are like day and night," Mingyu scoffed.

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Jeonghan nodded.

Before Mingyu could make another comment he was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Jeonghan took the phone out of his pocket and hit the answer button the moment he saw the contact picture. A smile lit the brunette's features immediately, Mingyu found himself strangely curious about who was responsible for Jeonghan's sudden change in mood.

"Hyung!" Dokyeom's voice exclaimed from the other end.

"Hey," Jeonghan replied.

"Why aren't you home yet?" Dokyeom sounded concerned.

"I got caught up at work, I don't think I'm coming home any time soon," Jeonghan apologised.

"What about dinner? Have you eaten yet?"

"It's arriving any minute now, don't you worry about me," Jeonghan was touched by his younger brother's concern.

"Take care of yourself, I don't want you to overwork. I love you to death but your stamina is mediocre at best even on a good day," Dokyeom teased.

"Thanks," Jeonghan chuckled. "Go to sleep at a decent hour, okay? I'll let myself in when I come home."

"Alright," Dokyeom sighed. "Take care, hyung."

"Bye," Jeonghan smiled. "Goodnight, Dokyeom-ah."

Jeonghan hung up the phone and looked up to see Mingyu's eyes trained on him, the younger man's jaw was clamped shut and his hands were clenched into fists on the table.

"What is it?" Jeonghan cocked a brow at the CEO's son.

"Who was that?" Mingyu asked.

"Does it matter?" Jeonghan looked over his shoulder as he started writing on the board again.

"No," Mingyu finally said. "It doesn't."

"Good, then we should get back to work then, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah," Mingyu said despite his annoyance.

He watched the lines of Jeonghan's body move back and forth as he wrote on the whiteboard, the man had such a nice body. A part of him wanted to interrogate the brunette regarding who was on the phone but a larger part of him knew better. He didn't exactly have the greatest relationship with the brunette so why did the idea of the man having a lover disturb him so much?

Mingyu cleared his throat and proceeded with the task at hand. He needed to focus on his work and not the perfect shape of Jeonghan's lips.

* * *

 

Wonwoo took a sip of his fourth coffee of the day as he drove to his son's daycare centre. It was well past six o'clock in the evening and he could already tell his son wasn't going to be happy with him. Siwoo did not appreciate tardiness especially from his dad. Wonwoo adjusted his glasses as he pulled into one of the empty parking spots outside the daycare and promptly made it over to the front entrance. He could already spot Siwoo entertaining himself in the reading corner with one of the teachers.

"Ah, you're finally here," one of the older women inside greeted him. "Siwoo's been waiting for you."

"Has he thrown any tantrums today? He's been a little sensitive lately," Wonwoo's eyes travelled to the boy.

"No, he's been a very good boy," the woman nodded over at Siwoo who giggled at something the teacher beside him said.

Wonwoo cocked a brow, there was a man sitting with his son. The older woman must've seen Wonwoo's look as she immediately cleared things up.

"That's our new employee, Kwon Soonyoung, your Siwoo seems to really like him," the woman said.

"How long has he been working here? I don't think I've seen him before," Wonwoo said as he stared at the man.

"It's been about a week now, he usually doesn't stay this late but he insisted on keeping Siwoo company until you came to pick him up."

"That's nice of him," Wonwoo acknowledged.

"Dad!" Siwoo's voice called before the kid trudged over and folded his arms over his chest.

"Hey, buddy," Wonwoo kneeled down and ruffled his son's soft black locks.

"Don't buddy me, you're late," Siwoo adjusted his own rounded glasses as he looked at his dad.

"Sorry, I got caught up at work," Wonwoo smiled at his son's displeased expression.

"Siwoo, don't forget your backpack," a voice caught Wonwoo's attention.

The new teacher, Kwon Soonyoung, met Wonwoo's gaze before giving him a polite bow and extended his hand. Wonwoo shook it and gave the man the same courtesy. Wonwoo looked down at their hands, Soonyoung's hands were...surprisingly dainty. He quickly cleared his throat and let go of Soonyoung's hand before straightening out the front of his suit.

"I'm Siwoo's dad, Jeon Wonwoo, nice to meet you."

"Kwon Soonyoung, I'm the new employee, I'll take good care of Siwoo so don't you worry," Soonyoung smiled, his eyes morphed into happy looking crescents.

"I don't doubt that you will, thanks for keeping him company," Wonwoo was genuinely thankful.

"It's my pleasure, Siwoo's a smart boy," Soonyoung ruffled Siwoo's hair. "It feels like I'm talking to an adult half the time."

"He's advanced for his age," Wonwoo nodded. "Sometimes I have to remind him that I'm the parent."

"One of us has to be the mature one," Siwoo rolled his eyes at Wonwoo.

Wonwoo shook his head.

"I think I'll take it from here, thank you again," Wonwoo ushered the four year old toward the door.

"No worries," Soonyoung waved. "See you tomorrow, Siwoo!"

"You're not allowed to talk to Doyoung or Myungso, okay? They're both dumb and they pick their noses!" Siwoo waved at Soonyoung as his dad pulled him along.

"Got it," Soonyoung chuckled.

Wonwoo buckled his son into the back seat and climbed into the front. As they drove away he caught Siwoo staring at him through the rear view mirror.

"What is it?" Wonwoo asked the boy.

"Don't even think about it," His son's fox-like eyes narrowed and his lips pouted.

"Think about what?" Wonwoo cocked a brow.

"I saw Soonyoung first," Siwoo said.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Wonwoo played dumb.

"You never do," Siwoo folded his arms over his chest as he stared out the window.

Wonwoo couldn't help but chuckle at his son's disdain, it was like looking into a mirror. The little firecracker was just hilarious.

"Soonyoung was really nice, wasn't he?" Wonwoo mumbled as they made their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!~ Sorry for taking well over a week to update. I attended three graduations last week and I was tired, taking pictures of three different people on three separate days and then going to three dinner parties was overkill. I feel hella fat so I got to get my ass back to the gym. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this update!~


	3. A Work of Art

Wonwoo was not a morning person, not in the slightest. For him the worst part of waking up was the feeling of dry eyes, it felt like his eyelids had adhered to his eyeballs while he slept. Wonwoo tousled his chestnut locks and slipped out from the covers before fumbling on the nightstand to grab his glasses. He adjusted the wire frames and yawned as he went over to the kitchen to make his morning coffee. He then headed over to Siwoo's bedroom. The four year old slept on his front with a leg sticking out just like his father. Wonwoo bent down and kissed the top of his son's head as he urged the boy to wake up. Siwoo only buried himself lower under the covers.

"Come on, the sooner you wake up the faster you get to see Soonyoung," Wonwoo bribed.

It worked. Siwoo threw off his blanket and headed straight for the bathroom to brush his teeth. Wonwoo leaned against the threshold as he watched his son pull a small stepping stool over to the sink before grabbing his green toothbrush and squeezing out a line of toothpaste. The four year old's pudgy little hands put a tender smile on Wonwoo's usually sharp features. He loved his son but sometimes he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward the little boy. His son never had a mother to dote on and pamper him, the kid had learnt how to be independent far too quick. Wonwoo didn't resent the woman who ran out on them, he was just very sad -- she'd missed out on sharing her life with an amazing child like Siwoo.

"Dad," Siwoo tugged at the hem of Wonwoo's shirt.

"Yes?" Wonwoo asked.

"Can I stay home tomorrow?" Siwoo shifted his feet.

"Tomorrow? It's still a weekday tomorrow, bud," Wonwoo said.

"I know," Siwoo nodded. "I just don't want to go."

"Why not?" Wonwoo knelt down so he could be face to face with his son.

"I don't get to see you a lot," Siwoo's little hands fisted at his sides.

Fuck. Wonwoo frowned.

"I don't have anyone to watch you if you stay home, bud. I know it sucks but you have to go."

"Can't I just go to work with you?" Siwoo insisted. "I promise I won't cause you any trouble."

"Sorry, bud," Wonwoo shook his head.

The four year old let a small sniffle before he went back to his bedroom. Wonwoo sighed, his son had asked to stay home on multiple occasions for the exact same reason. He knew he needed to do some damage control once the week was over. Wonwoo pushed the unpleasant thoughts to the back if his mind and went to get dressed. He needed to get ready for work and Siwoo needed to get to the daycare.

The drive to the daycare was uncomfortably quiet. Siwoo didn't make a peep the whole drive and that only made Wonwoo feel all the more guilty. Once they reached their destination, Wonwoo got out and unbuckled his son. Siwoo didn't meet his gaze or react when Wonwoo gave him a peck on the cheek. The four year old simply entered on his own and didn't look back. Wonwoo felt his heart sink as his son huddled into the reading corner and opened a book.

"Did you want me to take that?" A familiar voice caught Wonwoo's attention.

"What?" Wonwoo asked.

"Siwoo's backpack, did you want me to take it?" Kwon Soonyoung smiled politely as he held out his hand.

"Oh right," Wonwoo handed over the small backpack to the new teacher.

"Is everything alright?" Soonyoung commented as he put Siwoo's bag into one of the small cubby holes by the wall.

"I'm just a little concerned for Siwoo," Wonwoo sighed.

"Oh?" Soonyoung came to stand beside Wonwoo.

"He wanted to stay home to spend some time with me," Wonwoo frowned as he continued to stare at the four year old. "I wish I could but I have to work, you know?"

"Can't his mom take him out for a day?" Soonyoung asked.

"He doesn't have one," Wonwoo said.

"Oh," Soonyoung's lips formed an 'o.'

"Yeah," Wonwoo sighed.

"Well now it makes sense as to why I never see your wife coming to pick up Siwoo," Soonyoung looked over at the taller man. "I'll give your son some extra attention."

"You can do that?" Wonwoo looked at Soonyoung.

"Yeah," Soonyoung smiled, his eyes once again turning into small crescents.

"Thank you, Soonyoung," Wonwoo returned the shorter man's smile.

Soonyoung's cheeks flushed and his ears turned red.

"No problem," Soonyoung squeaked.

"I'm counting on you," Wonwoo said over his shoulder as he climbed back into his car.

"Bye...Wonwoo," Soonyoung muttered once the man was out of earshot.

* * *

 

"We are not using real leather, Mingyu," Jeonghan quickened his pace as the taller man followed him down the hall.

"Why the fuck not?!" Mingyu's voice made several heads look up from their computers.

"Keep your voice down and don't you dare curse at me," Jeonghan glared at the younger man as he continued his way across the floor.

"You still haven't answered my question, why can't we use leather?" Mingyu stepped around the brunette and blocked him from getting inside the elevator.

"Have you thought for a second that maybe the cost of genuine leather would be a little too high?" It was Jeonghan's turn to show his anger. "It might not look like a lot of money to you but mass production using genuine leather is like pouring money down the drain. Turning a profit would be impossible with the amount of work that goes into working with real leather. The cost of labour alone would put us over budget."

"So you want us to cut corners and use synthetics?! You're telling me that you're putting quantity over quality?" Mingyu followed the man into the lift.

Jeonghan snapped. He placed a hand on Mingyu's chest and pushed him up against the side of the elevator and fisted the front of Mingyu's shirt in his hand. The brunette grabbed the younger man's face between his thumb and forefinger.

"Stop putting words in my mouth and think about the bigger picture, Kim Mingyu! Did it ever cross your mind that using synthetic leather might be because of ethical issues? Many of our consumer base aren't fond of animal cruelty, cost effectiveness is only a small part of it! We're catering to a younger audience, majority being from the middle class and they're students as well. Do you really think they'll blow over a hundred dollars for one item of clothing?!" Jeonghan stood chest to chest with the taller man, they were so close their noses were almost touching and Mingyu's breath tickled at Jeonghan's upper lip. "We could potentially lose customers because of something minuscule as the materials we use and the cost of our product. You know how sensitive and vocal the online consumer base can be, one wrong move can affect us and we'll have to have our PR department swoop in to fix everything. Losing a customer is very easy compared to gaining one."

Mingyu didn't make a peep, his eyes were glued on Jeonghan's -- this was the closest they'd ever been to each other. The brunette must've felt the sudden change in atmosphere as well as he promptly separated himself from Mingyu just in time as the elevator doors opened.

"Your perspective is too narrow, Kim Mingyu. It's not about what you want, think about the consumer," Jeonghan scolded. "We might be a successful company but we do not have immunity to failure."

Jeonghan turned on his heel and headed back to his office. He closed the door and immediately loosened his tie before collapsing onto the swivel chair behind his desk. Jeonghan closed his eyes and tried to get his heartbeat to slow down, the loud pounding was beating in time with the pulsing of his headache and he was not having it. He was reaching unlocked levels of frustration with the boss's son but at the same time he couldn't deny the way his body reacted when Mingyu was in close proximity. The smell of Mingyu's cologne paired with his dark tapered eyes made it so difficult to focus. Just as he opened his laptop, his phone rang.

"Dokyeom?" Jeonghan answered upon seeing the contact on his screen.

"Hey hyung," Dokyeom's cheerful voice greeted.

"Any reason why you're calling me during work hours?" Jeonghan cocked a brow as he braced his phone between his ear and shoulder as he typed an email.

"Are you free tonight?" Dokyeom asked.

"Tonight?" Jeonghan opened the digital planner on his laptop. "No, I don't have anything on."

"Great!" Dokyeom exclaimed. "My friend Minghao is having an art exhibition tonight and he said I could bring a plus one."

"Minghao? Have I met him before? His name sounds familiar," Jeonghan said.

"He's the one who gave me the painting of the cherry blossom tree that we hung in the living room," Dokyeom reminded his hyung.

"Ah, that Minghao," Jeonghan remembered seeing the slender painter during their housewarming party.

"So you can go, right?" Dokyeom pushed on.

"Sure, just text me the address and time and I'll be there," Jeonghan agreed.

"Awesome, I'll tell Minghao to add your name to the guest list, see you tonight, Jeonghan-hyung!"

"Bye," Jeonghan smiled before he hung up.

Enjoying a relaxing night with his younger brother while attempting to appreciate art sounded nice. A lot nicer than wallowing in despair over the disaster that was his current project with Mingyu. He just needed some time away from the man -- Mingyu was handsome but his mouth was a problem. He was a professional and he intended to keep their relationship as it was, purely professional.

* * *

 

Mingyu felt like shit. He'd never been very good at putting his thoughts into words but he seemed to be especially rude when it came to Yoon-fucking-Jeonghan. Though in his defense the man wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. He and Jeonghan were both individuals with strong opinions and neither were willing to relinquish control. Mingyu touched his chest remembering the way Jeonghan's hand had clawed at it before pushing him up against the elevator wall. As much as he hated to admit it he'd kind of enjoyed it, Jeonghan was a whole other level of alluring when he was angry. The brunette's heavy-lidded eyes paired with the elegant lines of his face could have had anyone crumbling to the floor and grovelling at his feet -- Mingyu would've easily been one of those people.

Mingyu pulled at the small piece of lint on his black sweater as he climbed out of his car. He'd gotten changed after work and drove twenty minutes across the city to attend his friend's art gallery exhibition. He and Xu Minghao had been roommates their first year of university until Mingyu decided he wanted to study abroad. Though they weren't roommates anymore they still kept in touch. Their friendship was built on a mutual love of wine and fashion as well as photography -- Minghao liked taking pictures and Mingyu liked being photographed, it was a win-win situation for both parties. Mingyu shrugged on his coat as he got out of his car, it was getting closer to winter and the winds now carried a bite that almost hurt as it licked at his bare face.

Mingyu tucked his chin into the collar of his coat as he walked into the small gallery. He had his name marked off at the door and handed his coat over at the coat-check. The smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh bread hit his nose the minute he stepped through the threshold. The gallery looked to have doubled as a cafe, one side was completely dedicated to displaying artwork while the other was occupied by a few small round tables and a counter with only two people working. It was cozy, intimate and not at all pretentious. Mingyu waved his arm once he saw Minghao make his way across the space.

"Hey, thanks for coming," Minghao's voice was slightly higher than the average male and he was generally one of the more colourful people in a room.

The artist sported a red jumpsuit with a blue beret while a pair of maroon tinted glasses hung at the end of his nose. Silver earrings dangled on each of his ears and his overgrown black hair hung in his eyes, Xu Minghao knew how to make a statement. Mingyu handed his friend a bottle of white wine and the artist happily took it with ring clad fingers.

"Expensive," Minghao acknowledged upon seeing the label.

"It's a special occasion," Mingyu draped an arm over Minghao's shoulders as they headed over to the displayed paintings.

"When did you come back to Seoul?" Minghao asked his friend as he handed the man a flute of champagne from one of the passing event staff.

"A about a week ago," Mingyu sipped the bubbly alcohol.

"Any reason you've been MIA on Instagram? You haven't posted since last Sunday," Minghao took a sip of his own flute of champagne.

"I've been...occupied," Mingyu said. "Working at my dad's company wasn't at all what I imagined."

"How so?"

"I didn't think I'd have a babysitter breathing down my neck and overseeing everything I'm doing. I can't escape the man either, we're stuck together until we finish our current project," Mingyu quickly downed his champagne in one gulp.

"Is this the COO you were ranting about during our texts?" Minghao cocked a brow.

"Yeah," Mingyu nodded as he grabbed himself another flute of champagne.

"You might want to slow down, I don't want you getting shitfaced when the exhibition's just started," Minghao patted his friend's shoulder.

"Believe me, it's going to take more than champagne to get me shitfaced," Mingyu laughed as he began to wander around the space and stopped in front of one of the larger canvases.

"Hyung, doesn't that look like a butterfly to you?"

"It looks like a pelvis," Mingyu recognized that voice.

Mingyu turned his head and his suspicions were proven correct, it was Yoon Jeonghan. The brunette stood in front of a large painting with his arms folded and his head tilted while a man with short wavy locks held onto his waist. Mingyu felt his brows draw together when the stranger rested his head in the crook of Jeonghan's neck and said something that made Jeonghan laugh. They looked close, very close. The brunette must've noticed Mingyu's gaze as the man immediately turned -- their eyes met. Fuck.

"Ah," was all Jeonghan could utter.

"Hyung," Dokyeom's gaze also fell on Mingyu. "Do you know that guy?"

"Yes," Jeonghan said. "Yes I do."

"Do you mind giving us a minute?" Jeonghan touched his dongsaeng's hand.

Mingyu frowned seeing the intimate touch.

"Sure," Dokyeom gave Mingyu a cautious look but he did as he was asked.

"What brings you here of all places? You don't look like the artsy type," Mingyu said.

"Thanks," Jeonghan's said dryly. "I'm actually here as a plus one."

"I see," Mingyu's eyes shot over to the man who had held Jeonghan so intimately, he was definitely Jeonghan's lover -- he was sure of it.

"What about you? What brings Kim Mingyu to this exhibition?" Jeonghan asked.

"I know the artist," Mingyu answered.

"Makes sense," Jeonghan nodded.

"You look...different," Mingyu said as he looked the COO up and down.

Unlike his corporate wear, Jeonghan's attire outside of work was completely different. The man wore slim fitted beige trousers with an oversized white sweater that highlighted his collarbone and his hair was free of styling products. The soft brown locks fell just above his eyes making him look younger, softer -- so very soft. Mingyu forgot for a moment that it was the same man who'd pushed him against a wall. The current Jeonghan looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly.

"You're staring," Jeonghan clicked his fingers in front of Mingyu.

"Sorry," Mingyu cleared his throat, he was embarrassed.

"Sorry about this afternoon, I overstepped some boundaries," Jeonghan said as he turned his attention back to the painting.

"No, don't apologise," Mingyu shook his head. "I haven't exactly been the easiest person to work with."

"Massimo Alba cashmere sweater?" Jeonghan eyed Mingyu's sweater. "Nice choice."

"How'd you know?" Mingyu glanced at the brunette.

"Your tag's hanging out," Jeonghan simply answered.

"Fuck," Mingyu reached behind his neck.

Jeonghan reached over and touched Mingyu's hand urging him to stop. The taller man stood still as Jeonghan's hands brushed at the base of his neck and tucked away the stray tag. He didn't know if Jeonghan did it on purpose but the gentle caress on his nape caused him to shiver.

"You said you knew the artist, Minghao right?" Jeonghan asked, the man looked completely composed.

"Y-yeah," Mingyu stuttered.

"I'm actually quite interested in his work, I think it would be worth asking to see if he'd like to have his designs featured on our new footwear line."

"These artworks? They're nice but aren't they a little too...outlandish? I mean, it's a lot of colour," Mingyu looked at the abstract oil paintings.

"Colour is exactly what we're lacking and yes it is outlandish but it'll be original," Jeonghan explained. "Plus we'll have direct communication with the original artist, less chance of their being legal issues and it'll open doors for both the artist and for us. Think of the PR we could get from this, we'll be supporting the fine arts as well as creating something new."

Mingyu wanted to argue but the brunette knew how to sell an idea. Jeonghan quirked a brow as if waiting for Mingyu's refusal and immediately smiled when he knew the younger man didn't have anything to counter with.

"Care to do the honors?" Jeonghan held out his hand gesturing for Mingyu to lead the way.

"Sure," Mingyu said with a clenched jaw -- he'd lost.

Jeonghan fixed the collar of Mingyu's sweater as they walked. A playful smile lit the COO's face as they made their way across the gallery.

* * *

 

"Was there anything you wanted to wanted to say to your dad?" Soonyoung asked as he sat beside Siwoo.

The four year old had finished decorating his card but unlike the other children his didn't have anything written. The boy had drawn two stick figures on the paper one smaller than the other and both wore rounded glasses, they looked to be holding hands. One side of the paper was left bare, Soonyoung frowned -- Siwoo probably left it blank since he didn't have a mother figure, that was actually quite sad.

"I don't know what to write," Siwoo admitted and put down his blue crayon.

"What are some of the things that you like about your dad?" Soonyoung urged.

"He's smart, he reads really good bedtime stories and he's really handsome," Siwoo said.

Soonyoung definitely agreed with the last bit. Wonwoo was definitely a handsome man. It actually surprised him how much Siwoo took after his father, from the fox-like eyes to the way the boy adjusted his glasses and the charming little smile. In all honesty he was a little happy to hear that the man was single but at the same time he had berated himself for being so insensitive to the man's situation. Wonwoo was working a nine to five job to support his child and all Soonyoung could worry about was scoring a date.

"Why don't you write all those things down? Your dad would be really happy to hear about all the nice things you said," Soonyoung picked up the crayon and handed it back to Soonyoung.

"But my writing is ugly," Siwoo pouted.

"It's definitely better than mine," Soonyoung assured.

Siwoo still looked reluctant.

"Did you want to write it together?" Soonyoung asked.

"Yes," Siwoo nodded.

Soonyoung held onto the boy's chubby little hand as they wrote down a message together. As expected, two people with bad handwriting combined to create even uglier handwriting. Soonyoung chuckled at their failed joint effort but Siwoo seemed to have also found the outcome equally as amusing. It wasn't until they heard a knock at the door that both student and teacher turned their heads. Wonwoo stood leaning on the threshold with a smile on his face.

"Am I interrupting?" Wonwoo asked.

"No," Soonyoung cleared his throat.

"Yes," Siwoo pouted at his dad.

"You ready to head home?" Wonwoo asked his son.

"Maybe, maybe not," Siwoo shrugged.

Soonyoung ruffled the boy's hair as he went to grab the four year old's backpack and his coat from one of the cubby holes. He helped Siwoo slip on his coat and carried the boy over to his father.

"Has he been good?" Wonwoo asked and gave his son a playful look.

"I'm always good," Siwoo was not happy with his dad's question.

"Yes he is," Soonyoung agreed.

The teacher walked over to the small arts and crafts table and grabbed the four year old's handmade card. He handed it to Wonwoo who eyed the folded cardboard. Siwoo immediately buried his face into his dad's chest, he was clearly embarrassed.

"We had the children make thank you cards today," Soonyoung smiled. "He thinks very highly of you."

"Does he now?" Wonwoo kissed the side of Siwoo's head.

"Not in public!" Siwoo buried his face deeper into Wonwoo's chest.

"Sorry, bud," Wonwoo chuckled.

"I guess I'll see you again tomorrow?" Soonyoung asked as he followed the father and son out to their car.

"Definitely," Wonwoo said before reaching out and touching the short man's cheek.

Soonyoung flinched.

"You had glitter on your face," Wonwoo said as he pulled his hand back.

"Oh," Soonyoung clapped a hand over his cheek.

"You're cute," Wonwoo said as he climbed into the driver's seat. "See you tomorrow, Soonyoung."

"See you," Soonyoung waved with a limp hand and a red face as the man drove away.

* * *

 

"So you're completely fine with lending your artworks to us?" Jeonghan asked as he got Xu Minghao's details.

"Yes," Minghao shook Jeonghan's hand.

"Great, I'll have someone on my team contact you some time during the week and we can start going through all the nitty-gritty stuff, bring a lawyer if you need someone to go over anything. I'm all about transparency when it comes to collaborating," Jeonghan assured.

"Thank you for considering me for something like this," Minghao continued to shake the brunette's hand.

"I can't say I'm the best at interpreting art but your pieces are rather fascinating," Jeonghan complimented.

"Did you want the address to my studio? I could show you some other collections of mine," Minghao began searching his pockets for a pen and paper.

"Not needed, I can easily just ask Dokyeom for that," Jeonghan assured.

"Ah, you're the one Dokyeom insisted on inviting," Minghao clicked his fingers.

Mingyu who had been listening on the sidelines suddenly felt his lip twitch -- Minghao knew Jeonghan's lover? What the fuck?

"I'd love to keep chatting but I think I should be heading home, Dokyeom's alcohol tolerance isn't great and your generous event staff have given him a few too many flutes of champagne," Jeonghan nodded over at Dokyeom who sat one of the worn leather sofas with his eyes half-closed.

"Of course, thank you again for the opportunity," Minghao bowed.

"It was my pleasure," Jeonghan waved as he turned on his heel.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu's voice called.

"Yes?" Jeonghan answered but continued walking over to his younger brother.

"Look at me," Mingyu grabbed the brunette by the arm.

"Why? I can hear you just fine without having to look," Jeonghan asked as he finally gave the younger man the attention he wanted.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Mingyu's dark eyes bore into Jeonghan's.

"Doing what on purpose?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Mingyu clenched his jaw.

"Frankly I don't so if you'd excuse me I'd like to leave," Jeonghan shook his arm out of Mingyu's grasp.

Instead of doing as Jeonghan asked he recaptured the brunette's arm and dragged him into the bathroom. Jeonghan was backed up into a wall, he was wedged between the solid tiles and Mingyu's broad chest. The younger man's hand trailed from his waist up to touch the side of Jeonghan's face.

"How much longer are you going to keep teasing?" Mingyu whispered in the brunette's ear.

"I still have no clue what you're talking about," Jeonghan closed his eyes at the sensation of Mingyu's lips brushing against the shell of his ear.

"Oh, I believe you do," Mingyu's other hand circled around Jeonghan's waist, his face was so close Jeonghan could smell champagne on Mingyu's breath.

"I'd like to keep our relationship purely professional," Jeonghan placed a hand over Mingyu's eager lips.

"Do you really?" Mingyu licked Jeonghan's slender digits.

"I do," Jeonghan placed his hand on Mingyu's chest and pushed the man back. "I'm not looking for a relationship and I guarantee you that I'm not lacking candidates."

"What's so special about that Dokyeom guy?" Mingyu stepped in front of Jeonghan.

"Mingyu, just let it go, I don't want to get involved with you for a plethora of reasons and don't go jumping to conclusions. My love life and the people I choose to surround myself with outside of work is none of your concern," Jeonghan's annoyance was once again building. "You're the boss's son and me? I'm just an employee. Sure I have an office and fancy title but I'm still just another person on the pay roll. I don't want to do anything that'll jeopardize my professional reputation."

"Then what about all those playful smiles and those lingering touches?" Mingyu's brow furrowed.

"It's all in your head, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan answered pointing at his temple before using the moment to exit the bathroom.

Mingyu watched in silence as Jeonghan draped Dokyeom's arm over his shoulder and helped the guy out the door. He narrowed his eyes seeing the way Dokyeom clutched Jeonghan's waist and the way the two laughed as they disappeared out the door. Mingyu didn't even notice when Minghao came to stand beside him.

"So that's the unbearable coworker you were complaining about? He's not what I imagined, the man's face is a work of art -- in my humble opinion."

"It is," Mingyu agreed, his voice monotone.

But that beautiful face masked the coldness that was the man's heart. Mingyu didn't want to admit it but he felt kind of hurt, he'd never had someone reject him before. Despite the blatant rejection from Jeonghan, Mingyu felt the sudden rush of excitement that filtered through his system. It was like a child being told that he couldn't have something -- Mingyu only wanted it more. He wanted Jeonghan. He knew he was acting like a spoilt brat but he just wanted the brunette's attention.

"Stop making that face, you look stupid," Minghao smacked Mingyu in the back of the head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me again. I got another chapter churned out while I was in bed. When inspiration hits I have to get it down or else I forget. So here's chapter 3, enjoy!~


	4. "Business Trip"

Jeonghan was very painfully aware of Mingyu's gaze, it felt like the younger man was trying to burn a hole through the back of his head. Ever since their little encounter outside of work he'd kept their interactions to a minimum, he only spoke to Mingyu when the man's opinion was needed. Other than that Jeonghan had made it a habit to avoid the taller man. He refused to be swayed by a handsome face, absolutely not. As he rearranged the pieces of paper on their inspiration board, he could feel warm breath tickle his ear before a hand settled on the small of his back.

"Hands to yourself, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan warned without looking.

"Did you want to go have lunch?" Mingyu asked completely ignoring the rejection.

"No," Jeonghan finally turned to look at the younger man. "I'd like to finalize the designs by tonight, go have lunch on your own if you have to."

Mingyu's hand fell away from Jeonghan's back before he walked out of the room. The brunette immediately ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath, saying no to a begging Mingyu was harder than he'd originally thought -- the younger man was...cute? Sure Mingyu was built like a palm tree but he was a fucking cute palm tree if there ever was one. Jeonghan gathered his belongings and headed back to his office. He couldn't think, he needed to direct his attention at something else, something that didn't require creativity. He clapped himself in the face and shook off his lustful thoughts as he made his way back up to the top floor. Just as he passed the reception desk he was met with a flustered Kim Sanghoon who angrily hung up his phone before attempting to compose himself.

"Is everything okay, sir?" Jeonghan asked.

"No, Jeonghan, everything is in shambles," Sanghoon slammed his hand against the wall.

"What's the problem?" Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"Our brand launch in Tokyo was supposed to be ready this Friday but the incompetent ass-hat I put in charge of the project hasn't gotten anything done," Sanghoon shook his head. "The stock we sent over hasn't been cleared from customs, the store's interior is bare and the launch party has yet to have a venue!"

"Fuck," Jeonghan breathed.

"Yes, Jeonghan. We're royally fucked," Sanghoon pinched the bridge of his nose, the CEO looked like he was going to have a mental breakdown.

"I'll book a flight to Tokyo tonight," Jeonghan concluded as he pulled out his phone. "I'll figure something out, sir."

"This is not a one man job, Yoon Jeonghan," Sanghoon looked at the brunette with anxious eyes.

"I'll go with him," Mingyu's voice came from behind.

Double fuck, Jeonghan did not need to hear that.

"I'm fine on my own," Jeonghan protested. "You stay here and hold the fort."

"I insist," Mingyu pushed. "My dad's here to oversee everything, you need me."

Jeonghan bit the inside of his cheek, he was far too stressed to argue.

"Fine," Jeonghan said through gritted teeth.

"I trust you, Jeonghan," Sanghoon gave the brunette's shoulder a firm squeeze. "Don't disappoint me, son."

"I won't," Jeonghan nodded.

"What about me?" Mingyu asked.

"Don't get in Jeonghan's way," Sanghoon simply said before he went into his office.

"So which airline are we flying with?" Mingyu asked as he trailed behind the brunette.

Jeonghan closed his eyes, he really didn't need this right now.

* * *

 

"Dad, I want this," Siwoo handed Wonwoo a small box of chocolates.

"Sugar isn't good for you, bud," Wonwoo said as he took the box from his son's hand.

"They're not for me," Siwoo pouted. "I wanted to give it to Soonyoung."

"Shouldn't you be calling him, Mr. Kwon? Don't you think it's rude to be calling him by his first name? He's your teacher," Wonwoo kissed the top of Siwoo's head as they walked together inside the supermarket.

"He said I could," Siwoo argued as he held onto Wonwoo's pinky finger.

"What is it about him that you like so much?" Wonwoo asked the four year old as he threw a loaf of sliced bread into their shopping basket.

"He talks to me normally, he doesn't do that weird voice the other teachers do," Siwoo explained. "He doesn't talk to me like I'm dumb."

"I see," Wonwoo nodded. "He talks to you the same way I do."

"Yeah," Siwoo's face lit up into a smile.

The father and son walked hand in hand down the cereal aisle, just as he reached out to grab a box of cornflakes Wonwoo's hand came in contact with that of a stranger's. Wonwoo pulled back immediately.

"Sorry," both parties apologised.

Wonwoo turned only to make eye contact with an equally shocked Kwon Soonyoung, the man wore a simple pair of black jeans and a navy blue t-shirt under a bomber jacket. The shorter man's hair was styled to perfection with one side slicked back while the other fell over his forehead. Soonyoung looked very different, a one-eighty from the image he'd shown at the daycare centre. Wonwoo was genuinely speechless.

"Oh, hi," Soonyoung's face morphed into a smile.

"Hi," Wonwoo said, the box of cereal dangling forgotten in his right hand.

"I'm here too," Siwoo tugged at Soonyoung's shirt.

"Sorry, Siwoo," Soonyoung chuckled as he bent down to pat the four year old's head.

"You look...different," Wonwoo acknowledged looking the man up and down.

"Oh right," Soonyoung smiled sheepishly. "I teach dance classes at a studio just around the corner."

"You work two jobs?"

"Yup, have to pay off my student debt somehow," Soonyoung said with a shrug.

"Ah, yes," Wonwoo nodded. "The price we have to pay for an education."

"You gotta do what you gotta do, you know?" Soonyoung shrugged again.

"Where are you heading after this?" Wonwoo asked, he knew he shouldn't have asked but he had no self-control.

"Home I guess, just having dinner with me, myself and I," Soonyoung answered holding up his basket of groceries.

"Did you want to join me and Siwoo back at our place?" Wonwoo could feel the sweat building at the back of his neck, it had been a while since he'd been so bold.

"S-sure," Soonyoung's eyes widened.

"I make really good rice," Siwoo said proudly as he held onto Soonyoung's pinky the same way he held his dad's -- for a moment he was able to experience the feeling of having two parents. "I wash the rice really well, you'll really like it. Dad liked my rice."

"He's not lying," Wonwoo added as they headed for the registers.

"I never doubted him for a second," Soonyoung smiled as he squeezed the four year old's tiny hand.

* * *

 

Jeonghan tapped his foot impatiently on the linolium floor of the hotel lobby as the woman behind the reception desk clicked away on her computer. He and Mingyu had taken the two hour flight from Gimpo to Haneda airport and neither had remembered to book for accommodation. With the weight of transporting two hundred units of their winter collection over to Japan and a whole launch party to plan, accommodation was the last thing on Jeonghan's mind. They'd looked up various hotels and all had been booked out. The current hotel they were at was their final resort, a little pricier but it claimed to have a room available.

"The deluxe suite is the only room still available, is that okay with you?" The woman behind the desk asked.

"That's fine," Jeonghan handed over his card.

Jeonghan took the key card from the woman and gestured for Mingyu to follow him. The taller man carried their suitcases into the elevator and stood in silence as he watched the brunette flick through several papers on a clipboard. He could tell the older man was stressed just by the way he was constantly brushing back his hair -- he'd come to learn that it was one of the man's nervous ticks. He followed the brunette into the room and immediately heard Jeonghan curse.

"What's wrong?" Mingyu asked as he closed the door behind him.

Mingyu walked over to the bedroom and saw the problem, there was only one bed. To him that wasn't really a problem, it was definitely a blessing. He took a seat on the edge of the bed as Jeonghan paced back and forth with his phone pressed to his ear, the man's face was a mask of anger. He did not look happy.

"So all boxes have arrived and accounted for?" Jeonghan asked of someone on the other end. "Good, I want every single box unpacked and on display by the morning. Every mannequin in the shop front must be dressed in the winter collection and all garments sorted by size. I want photo evidence once that's done."

Mingyu smirked seeing the brunette's alpha male aura seeping through.

"I don't care if it's going to take you all night, you should've thought of that before you wasted all this time now, shouldn't you? We gave you over two months to set it up, you reap what you sow, sweetheart," Jeonghan hung up and threw his phone onto the sofa -- he was so very tired.

"You okay?" Mingyu moved over to touch Jeonghan's jaw.

"Not now," Jeonghan slapped Mingyu's hand away as he retrieved a white garment bag from his suitcase. "Go get dressed, we have a launch party to go to."

"Sure," Mingyu said, Yoon Jeonghan was a very cold-hearted creature.

Mingyu got dressed in a simple black Gucci heritage pinstripe suit and a grey tie before running some hair wax through his black locks. He spritzed himself with his favourite cologne and finished off the look with a Rolex on his left wrist. Jeonghan joined him back in the living room a moment later sporting yet another one of his ridiculously well tailored Armani suits -- Mingyu just didn't understand how the formal attire looked so erotic, it just didn't make any sense.

"Eyes off my crotch," Jeonghan gave Mingyu a warning as he fixed his cufflinks.

Mingyu's eyes met with the brunette's for a moment before the older man walked past him to grab the hotel key card. Mingyu felt his mouth go dry after getting a whiff of Jeonghan's scent. He smelt so fucking good.

"Lose the Rolex, it's overkill," Jeonghan said as he opened the door to the room.

Mingyu did as he was told and removed the watch before following the older man out of their suite. They headed down into the lobby and walked across the polished floors right into the chauffeured that awaited them out front. Jeonghan immediately flicked through his phone making sure everything was running smoothly. It had cost a pretty penny but Jeonghan had managed to snag one of the reception halls at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for their brand launch party. The catering had been booked, the venue was decorated and the entertainment had already arrived, all Jeonghan had to do now was chat with their Japanese shareholders and make small talk with potential investors. His strategy was always the same, get the guests drunk off their faces so he didn't have to talk to them for long. It had been an effective strategy so he saw no reason to change his methods.

"You really care about 'RQ&S,'" Mingyu commented as the car stopped in front of their destination. "I'm quite impressed by your dedication to this company."

"You only realize that now?" Jeonghan shot the younger man a look. "Did you think I was just playing games all this time?"

"That's not what I meant-" Mingyu never got to finish his sentence, the brunette had already left the vehicle.

Mingyu swallowed down his annoyance and pushed forward. He'd intended his words to be a complement but it had completely backfired. He entered the venue, walked past security and joined the party. The place had been draped in their company's signature colours of pale pink and powder blue while an ice sculpture sat in the corner in the shape of their company logo. Several servers walked around the room carrying trays of complimentary drinks in the same pink and blue colour scheme and a guests were busy enjoying the live entertainment and the photography booth in the back. He was once again in awe of what Yoon Jeonghan was capable of. Mingyu's eyes searched around the pink tinted room to find the brunette greeting the guests all the while keeping a sharp eye at the things going on around him. It was only when Jeonghan came to a stop in front of a younger looking guest that Mingyu felt his brows slowly draw together. The man Jeonghan was speaking to had a lazy smile on his face and the look in his eyes looked far too intense to be friendly. Instead of causing a scene, Mingyu headed straight for the open bar. Jeonghan had everything under control, he wasn't needed -- he might as well take advantage of the free drinks.

* * *

 

Wonwoo cradled Siwoo in his arms as he pulled back the comforter before settling his son down on the bed. Siwoo whined at the sudden movement but quickly calmed when Wonwoo stroked his hair. He kissed Siwoo's forehead and closed the door before walking back to the kitchen where Soonyoung stood over the sink. The shorter man was busy rinsing off the dishes and stacking them on the rack beside the sink. Wonwoo leaned against the counter and simply watched Soonyoung's back. The daycare teacher had a great backside, his shoulders tapered down into a narrow waist and the lean muscle in his back was highlighted by the thin material of his t-shirt. Wonwoo was very much interested in the man but...he still had his reservations. Soonyoung was probably just being nice, the chances of the man wanting to date someone as bland as him was slim to none. The part-time dancer probably wasn't into the stuffy corporate type. That didn't stop Wonwoo from dreaming though.

"Thanks for inviting me over for dinner," Soonyoung threw over his shoulder as he removed his rubber gloves. "You saved me from another night of me gagging over my own horrible cooking."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Wonwoo said.

"I should probably get going, it's getting late," Soonyoung nodded over at the wall clock.

"It's a Friday," Wonwoo protested. "I'm in no rush to get into bed."

The taller man walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a can of beer from the fridge. He threw it over to Soonyoung who caught it without a problem. The man's face held a look that Wonwoo couldn't quite decipher.

"Is something wrong?" Wonwoo asked.

"I don't know if drinking in front of my student's father is the smartest thing to be doing," Soonyoung said with a frown.

"I'm the one who gave you the drink, don't sweat it," Wonwoo assured.

Soonyoung stayed quiet for several seconds but he soon opened the can and took a long swig. Wonwoo did the same. It had been a while since he'd had beer -- he'd forgotten that it tasted like shit. Wonwoo downed the can as quick as he could and washed the taste down with a glass of water. Soonyoung on the other hand took small sips, he too didn't enjoy the taste all too much.

"I can't believe I used to be able to down six of these when I was younger," Wonwoo said as he threw his empty can in the trash.

"I didn't pin you as a heavy drinker," Soonyoung looked genuinely surprised.

"Drinking was the only way I could cope with having a child to support while working nine to five," Wonwoo lowered his gaze. "I never let Siwoo see me drink though, I'd like to keep the squeaky clean image he has of his dad and not the pathetic mess that couldn't afford to buy him a birthday cake."

"Rough start to parenthood, huh," Soonyoung guessed.

"You gave no idea," Wonwoo nodded. "I was working at 'RQ&S Apparel' in the public relations department with a newborn to care for. I was fresh out of university and had never changed a diaper in my life. If it weren't for my mom being there to intervene and look after Siwoo, I would've either died from insomnia or alcohol poisoning a long time ago."

"Well you did a good job despite your less than favorable situation," Soonyoung stepped in front of the taller man and gave his arm a squeeze. "You've raised an amazing young boy and you, Jeon Wonwoo, deserve to know that you're doing an awesome job as a father."

"What else?" Wonwoo's eyes bore into Soonyoung's. "What else do you have to say about me?"

"You're..." Soonyoung swallowed.

"Yes?" Wonwoo stepped forward until they were chest to chest.

"You're...too close," Soonyoung whispered.

"I know," Wonwoo mumbled against the seam of Soonyoung's soft lips.

"Are you drunk?" Soonyoung placed his palms against Wonwoo's chest, he pulled his face away from Wonwoo's.

"I'm stone cold sober," Wonwoo answered as he grabbed the shorter man's face and locked lips.

Soonyoung made a whimper of protest but quickly found his hands fisted in the back of Wonwoo's sweater. Wonwoo broke the contact between their lips and stroked his thumb over the dancer's lower lip. Soonyoung looked up at him through half-closed eyes, his breathing was ragged and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead. Soonyoung separated himself from Wonwoo after realizing what he'd done and immediately grabbed his coat. He headed straight for the door without a single glance back at the man with the fox-like features. He'd made a mistake -- he shouldn't have kissed Wonwoo.

* * *

 

"One foot in front of the other, work with me here," Jeonghan grunted as he assisted a drunk Mingyu into their hotel room.

The younger man reeked of alcohol and he was fucking heavy, much too heavy for Jeonghan's depleting stamina. They staggered to the door and Jeonghan fumbled for his trouser pockets to get the key card. He inserted the key card into the slot on the door and pulled Mingyu along. He brushed the sheen of sweat away from his forehead and let the taller man fall back on the bed before he stood back to catch his breath.

"Very unimpressed, Kim Mingyu, very unimpressed," Jeonghan shook his head, the last thing he'd expected of Mingyu was for the man to get blacked out drunk.

Instead of getting angry, Jeonghan grabbed one of the towels on the side of the bed and headed into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and immediately sniffed at the fabric of his jacket, he frowned. The one thing he hated about hanging around older corporate types was the smell of musky cologne and old cigarettes. The smell clung and it didn't go away, he ruffled his hand through his hair and grimaced at the sight of small confetti pieces and an even stronger smell of cigarettes -- he hated the stench with a passion. He quickly rinsed off the layer of grime on his skin and popped open his own little travel bottle of shampoo, he'd rather die before he used the generic stuff on his scalp. With his body still sopping wet he transferred himself into the wide bathtub and filled it to the top.

He really just needed to relax after dealing with such a mess, he hadn't slept in twenty-four hours and he was beginning to feel the effects take a toll on his body. Jeonghan slicked back his wet hair and rested his head against the side of the tub. Instead of the quiet sounds of the water splashing, all Jeonghan could hear was loud banging before the door to the bathroom was flung open and in came Mingyu. The boy fell to his knees and curled himself over the toilet. The sound of Mingyu's retching and slop hitting the sides of the toilet bowl was not pleasant, Jeonghan was so shocked by the sight of the man vomiting that he totally didn't care that he was butt ass naked.

"You alright?" Jeonghan asked as he continued to relax in the tub.

Mingyu answered with more vomiting.

"I'll take that as a no," Jeonghan simply said as he got out of the tub and pulled on a robe from behind the bathroom door.

The brunette grabbed one of the complimentary bottles of water in the kitchen and went back to the bathroom. Mingyu was still on the floor. He was leaning against the wall next to the toilet paper roll holder and his previously immaculate suit was now wrinkled and his shirt was covered in patches of sweat. Jeonghan knelt down and handed Mingyu the opened bottle before brushing the hair away from his forehead. Mingyu gulped down the water and poured the rest over his head.

"I messed up," Mingyu's weak voice said as looked at Jeonghan through heavy lids.

"You did," Jeonghan agreed. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah," Mingyu nodded as he braced himself using the wall.

Jeonghan watched the younger man stagger back into the bedroom with concern colouring his face. Mingyu really was definitely Sanghoon's son, the CEO also had a habit of drinking himself to the point of sickness. Chances were that his son had learnt the unhealthy habit from his father. Jeonghan didn't know what to do, a part of him wanted to baby the younger man the same way he babied Dokyeom but then that would be a breach of his promise to keep their relationship purely professional. The brunette chewed on his fingernails for a long moment before he cast his better judgment aside. He touched Mingyu's forehead and confirmed the man indeed was overheated.

"Mingyu, go take a shower and cool off," Jeonghan said. "You're burning up, go wash up and get in bed."

"Why do you suddenly care about what happens to me?" Mingyu asked as he pulled Jeonghan's palm away from his face.

"Because your father would not be happy with me if anything were to happen to you," Jeonghan answered.

"You're starting to sound like an actual babysitter," Mingyu scoffed.

"And you're acting like an actual baby," Jeonghan shot back. "Just get in the shower, will you? We still have a lot of obligations to take care of during this trip and I don't want you sick and hungover while we're dealing with our overseas shareholders."

"Fine," Mingyu headed for the bathroom leaving Jeonghan alone in the bedroom.

Jeonghan rubbed his tired eyes and went over to rummage through his suitcase. He pulled on his sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt before he phoned Dokyeom. He'd promised he'd call his younger brother the minute he reached Japan but the stress he was under made Jeonghan forget. Dokyeom picked up on the very first ring.

"Hyung?!" Dokyeom's voice exclaimed.

"Sorry," Jeonghan immediately apologised.

"Did something go wrong? Are you alright? Did you get there okay?" Dokyeom's questions came in droves.

"I'm fine, I got caught up with responsibilities. I'm just calling to let you know that I got here safely," Jeonghan smiled. "Do you miss me that much?"

"I don't get to see you that much as it is, plus airlines are cutting all sorts of corners nowadays, you can't trust those big corporations," Dokyeom said.

"Thanks for the concern," Jeonghan chuckled.

"When are you coming back?"

"I'll be flying back on Sunday," Jeonghan replied. "That's a little less than two days."

"That's not too bad, I guess," Dokyeom sighed through the phone.

"I miss you too," Jeonghan let out a sigh of his own.

"I guess I'll let you go, you probably have enough on your plate. I don't want to give you any more unnecessary stress. Good night, Jeonghan-hyung. Love you."

"Good night, Dokyeom-ah," Jeonghan crooned. "Love you too."

Jeonghan hung up the phone and turned to head over to bed but was met with an unhappy looking Mingyu standing in the doorway. A towel was draped limp over his dark head of hair while a pair of silk pajama bottoms hung low on his hips. The younger man's broad sunkissed torso was on full display.

"Who was that?" Mingyu asked as Jeonghan slid past him.

"Does it matter?" Jeonghan repeated the same response he always gave when Mingyu became nosy.

"Your lover again? Does he have separation anxiety or something? Why is he so clingy for?" Mingyu sounded a lot more sober.

"Can you please stay out of my business? You're not my keeper, I don't need your input on things that don't concern you," Jeonghan pivoted to look the taller man in the eye.

"Again, what's so great about that guy? What's so amazing about him that makes you smile like that? What has he done that gives him the right to be told 'I love you?'" Mingyu demanded. "How come he gets all your attention?!"

"Because he's my younger brother, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan answered. "He's my flesh and blood, not my lover. So do me a favour and stop with the childish behaviour, I don't want to hear any badmouthing of Dokyeom from you. Is that clear?"

"What?" Mingyu asked.

"Dokyeom's my younger brother," Jeonghan repeated. "Did you want me to draw you a picture?"

"He's not your boyfriend?"

"No," Jeonghan shook his head.

"So you're not dating?"

"No," Jeonghan was getting very annoyed.

Before he could react, Jeonghan had his head grabbed by Mingyu's large hands. His lips were claimed by the taller man and his mouth invaded by a foreign tongue. Jeonghan pushed against Mingyu's warm chest and separated himself from the man.

"Don't," Jeonghan shot the younger man a warning look.

"Why? You feel it too, don't you?" Mingyu kept moving forward. "You can't look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel the tension. It's been there since day one."

"Then let it stay as tension, I'm not doing anything with you so you can forget about it," Jeonghan stepped back to create more space between them.

"Aren't you curious? Even the slightest bit?" Mingyu wasn't giving up. "I'm handsome, aren't I?"

"Mingyu, just let it go," Jeonghan was so very frustrated.

"Please, Jeonghan-hyung?" Mingyu begged.

"You manipulative little bastard," Jeonghan said through gritted teeth -- he was a sucker for that cursed word.

"Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu pulled Jeonghan to his chest and brushed his lips against his hyung's temple.

The brunette resisted for a brief moment only to give into temptation.

"You win," Jeonghan breathed as his wrapped his arms around Mingyu's neck.

Mingyu smiled flashing his canines and wasted no time as he pulled Jeonghan back over to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the mattress with Jeonghan straddling his thighs. Their crotches were pressed up against each other and from what he could tell, Jeonghan was just as excited as he was. The brunette was a whole other level of erotic, his pale milky skin was so smooth to the touch -- Mingyu's mouth actually watered, he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it.

"Are you that excited?" Jeonghan asked as Mingyu's hands travelled up the hem of his shirt.

"You have no idea," Mingyu whispered as he pulled Jeonghan's shirt over his head.

Jeonghan stroked his thumbs over Mingyu's cheeks and closed the space between their faces until their noses touched. Mingyu's eager lips twitched.

"Beg," Jeonghan demanded.

"Please, Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu answered without an ounce of shame.

Jeonghan obliged. He locked lips with his dongsaeng and let out a moan as the younger man slipped his hand into the waistband of his sweatpants and began stroking his cock. The brunette allowed himself to be laid down in centre of the bed before he found himself pinned down by Mingyu's thighs on either side of him. The younger man licked a line up from Jeonghan's balls up to the tip and gave the man's inner thigh a hard bite earning him a hiss followed by a loud moan.

"You better not be marking your territory, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan warned his dongsaeng.

"I'm not," Mingyu said -- he was lying.

Mingyu reached into the nightstand and found the bottle of lube he'd stashed there earlier. Originally he'd brought the bottle to use in case he needed to relieve himself but now it could actually be used for its intended use. Mingyu squeezed a liberal amount on his hand and reached down to touch Jeonghan's opening. He started with two fingers and swallowed at the sight of a writhing Jeonghan, the man was tight. After inserting a third digit, Mingyu pulled back his fingers as Jeonghan got up and climbed back into his lap, the brunette positioned himself over Mingyu's rigid length and licked at the seam of the younger man's lips. Jeonghan was teasing him.

"How bad do you want me?" Jeonghan asked tilting Mingyu's chin up with his index finger.

"Really bad," Mingyu swallowed as Jeonghan took in just the tip of his cock.

"Really?" Jeonghan continued to taunt as he clenched onto Mingyu's tip.

"Fuck," Mingyu rested his head in the crook of Jeonghan's neck, his fingernails digging into the brunette's ass cheeks.

"I want to hear an answer," Jeonghan licked the shell of Mingyu's ear.

"I want you, Jeonghan," Mingyu said through gritted teeth.

"Go ahead," Jeonghan gave Mingyu's lips a quick peck.

Their lovemaking was anything but sweet, it was borderline animalistic. Jeonghan threw his head back as Mingyu pushed himself into the hilt. The younger man's pace was relentless and with every stroke it was hitting Jeonghan's prostate. The brunette dragged his nails down Mingyu's back and kepted their lips sealed together, they were both fighting for dominance and Jeonghan was definitely winning. He broke off the kiss and sunk his teeth into Mingyu's neck before soothing the area with his tongue -- the contrast in sensations caused the younger man to shudder.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu mumbled his hyung's name.

Jeonghan touched Mingyu's cheek. He held the boy's head and stroked his black locks as they stared into each other's eyes. Mingyu didn't look away for even a second, the younger man looked at the brunette as if he were a higher being -- one that was worthy of worship. Jeonghan clenched his eyes shut as he felt his climax building, he was reaching his limit and Mingyu's thrusts were getting more frantic. Jeonghan gave Mingyu's cock a final squeeze and curled into the man's chest as he came. Mingyu bit down on Jeonghan's shoulder and found his own release right after. Jeonghan didn't make a single sound, he was completely out of it and so was Mingyu. The younger fell back on the mattress taking Jeonghan with him. With his last ounce of remaining energy, Jeonghan braced himself on his elbow and looked at the man beneath him who was knocked out cold.

"How the hell am I going to fix this?" Jeonghan asked himself, he was royally fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is me again, your one and only. I started a new job this week so I haven't had as much time to write. I hope the smut made up for it though. See you guys in the next chapter!~


	5. Jumping the Gun

Mingyu woke up with a blinding headache, a sore throat and a dry mouth yet somehow he still felt...satisfied? He pried open one eye and groaned at the sudden light that assaulted his vision, the sun was not helping his hangover, not one bit. The twenty-five year old pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned against the headboard as he rubbed at his temples -- everything hurt. He reached over to touch the opposite side of the bed only to find empty space and loose sheets, Mingyu's eyes went from half-closed to wide open. Jeonghan wasn't in the bed.

Mingyu didn't know why he felt so anxious, he just was. He rummaged through the mess of clothing on the floor and found his sweatpants before slipping them on. Mingyu's eyes travelled up and down the room looking for his phone and dialled Jeonghan's number the second he found it. The brunette picked up on the third ring.

"Hello, Yoon Jeonghan speaking," the older man's velvety voice answered.

"Where'd you go?" Mingyu didn't bother with a hello.

"You didn't look like you were in any condition to come to a meeting so I let you sleep," Jeonghan sounded composed.

"You should've woken me up," Mingyu bit his lower lip.

"Well it's too late now so there's really no point in arguing. Go and get some rest, I'll be back later in the evening. Right now I have some personal schedules to attend to," Jeonghan said nonchalantly.

"What personal schedules?" Mingyu didn't like the sound of that.

"That's none of your business," Jeonghan simply said before he hung up.

"None of my business?" How the fuck did Jeonghan have the nerve to say that after what happened between them the previous night?

Instead of letting his annoyance get the better of him, Mingyu opted for getting changed -- he suddenly didn't feel so sleepy anymore. He pulled on a simple crew-neck sweater and a pair of jeans before shrugging on the same coat he'd worn on the plane ride over to Japan. He grabbed the extra hotel key card, his phone and pocketed his wallet on the way out. He was in Japan, might as well enjoy his free time considering he didn't seem to be needed -- Jeonghan didn't really need him for anything except a tumble in the sheets but even then Mingyu didn't know if it was only a one time thing. The twenty-five year old walked out of the hotel with his hands in his pockets and no destinations in mind. He strolled leisurely down the street aimlessly and eyed all the shop windows, everything was small -- the clothing definitely wasn't made for someone of his stature. He was actually a little disappointed, shopping was always his default way of spending his free time but his current predicament had severely impacted his mood. As he passed by the millionth shop on his walk, Mingyu stopped in front of a display window.

Mingyu stared at the store mannequin and chewed on his lower lip. The mannequin sported a silky powder blue dress shirt with small floral details on the cuffs and collar. He suddenly imagined Jeonghan wearing the shirt, just the shirt and nothing else. He mentally kicked himself and started walking away -- but just as quickly he ran back in the direction of the shop. Mingyu left the store five minutes later with a shopping bag and he was three thousand yen poorer. He bought the shirt. Fuck.

The young businessman shook his head at his own stupidity and continued on his way. He let his feet do the work until the sound of high pitched giggling caught his attention. Mingyu looked up to see a bunch of women crowded around a shop window with their phones pressed against the glass. Drawn in by curiosity, Mingyu shuffled over and looked inside over the women's heads. It was an animal cafe, one that was specifically for rabbit enthusiasts by the looks of it. He didn't really see the appeal in such an establishment...until he saw a rather smiley Yoon Jeonghan sitting on the floor with a baby rabbit in his hands. Mingyu suddenly loved rabbits. Clearing his throat, Mingyu straightened his back and entered the cafe. He stopped in front of Jeonghan and the brunette looked up at him, the smile he had fell right off his face.

"This was your personal schedule?" Mingyu asked with an smug grin.

"It's a gift to myself considering I managed to get all of the work obligations out of the way on my own, you know, because a certain colleague of mine was passed out cold in bed," Jeonghan said as he went back to focusing on the furry animal in his palms.

"Who was that guy you were talking to all night?" Mingyu suddenly asked.

"A friend," Jeonghan simply answered.

"He was awfully touchy for just a friend, I don't recall ever having a friend put their arm around my waist for that long," Mingyu said.

"Can you please get your nose out of my business and focus on something else?" Jeonghan set the rabbit down. "You're my colleague, not my keeper. Just because you and I spent the night together, doesn't mean you suddenly get a say in who I associate with, especially out of work."

"I was just curious," Mingyu tried to defend himself.

"Don't give me that, we both know that's a lie," Jeonghan rolled his eyes as he exited the cafe.

"Why are you angry?" Mingyu trailed after the brunette.

"I'm not angry," Jeonghan let out a breath as he quickened his pace.

"But-"

"No buts, Mingyu," Jeonghan shook his head.

"Fine," Mingyu said with a defeated tone.

"Let's get back to the hotel, we have more work to do," Jeonghan simply said as he lead the way, a despondent Mingyu followed right after him.

* * *

 

Wonwoo paced outside of a grey building with his hands in his coat pockets and his neck buried inside his scarf. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do but that didn't stop him from waiting outside the dance studio for a certain teacher in the middle of the evening. Wonwoo's head snapped up when he heard the sound of the heavy metal door of the building open before a large group of people filed out. They were all dressed in loose shirts and baggy pants -- definitely dancers. Wonwoo scanned through the group until he caught sight of Soonyoung's puffy head of black hair. The hamster-looking dance teacher held the door open while his students dispersed and he was covered in a sheen of sweat. Wonwoo waited until everyone was gone before he approached the shorter man. Soonyoung immediately made a run for it into the building the second he saw Wonwoo.

"Soonyoung! Wait!" Wonwoo also broke into a run.

"I don't want to see you right now!" Soonyoung shouted as he scaled the stairs two at a time.

"I just want to talk!" Wonwoo was catching up to the shorter man's pace.

"How the fuck are you so fast?!" Soonyoung complained as he continued to run.

Wonwoo caught Soonyoung by the waist and turned him around. They were both breathing hard. Soonyoung swallowed seeing a sweaty Jeon Wonwoo.

"I have longer legs," Wonwoo simply answered the dancer's previous question.

"Ah," was all Soonyoung's brain power could manage.

"Why'd you run away?" Wonwoo's brows drew together.

"I..." Soonyoung whispered before he looked down at his feet.

"It's the kiss, wasn't it?" Wonwoo frowned.

"Yes," Soonyoung admitted.

"You don't feel that sort of way about me, right?" Wonwoo guessed.

"Wonwoo..." Soonyoung shook his head.

"I guess it was all my imagination," Wonwoo said with a sad smile. "You were probably just being nice, I should've known. Why the hell would you be interested in someone like me? My loneliness is starting to make me desperate."

"Wait," Soonyoung tried to pull Wonwoo back.

"Just forget anything ever happened, I won't bother you again," Wonwoo yanked his arm away. "Sorry about everything."

Soonyoung stood alone in the stairwell as he watched Wonwoo descend back down.

"You've got it all wrong," Soonyoung mumbled.

* * *

 

There were a lot of things Mingyu could've been doing, he could've finished emailing their manufacturer or go through the different advertising pitches for the footwear collection but instead he was counting how many tiles were on the kitchen counter in their hotel room. He downed his second Red Bull of the day and threw the can into a plastic bin to his left. He'd tried to focus on work but the brunette pacing back and forth in the living room was very distracting.

"Yes, sir," the brunette nodded as he clamped his phone between his ear and shoulder, his elegant digits spinning a pen skillfully as he spoke to Mingyu's father.

Mingyu flinched when the brunette's eyes bore into his own.

"Mingyu? Yes, he's...fine," Jeonghan said before turning his back to the younger man. "No, he hasn't given me any trouble...yes, I'll have that finished by tonight...understood, sir."

The brunette continued to talk on the phone for a couple of more minutes before returning back to face the younger man.

"So are we in agreement regarding the base design for the footwear collection?" Jeonghan pushed on, he wasn't getting paid to do nothing.

"I think we should reduce the number of products," Mingyu said and immediately earning an annoyed look from Jeonghan.

"Explain," Jeonghan set down his pen.

"It's a new venture, releasing too many things on the first run would be risky considering we don't know if it'll sell. What if we end up having excess stock and no buyers?" Mingyu leaned back in his chair.

"That's why we have an analytics team who provide us with detailed statistics regarding consumer patterns, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan narrowed his eyes.

"Even so there's still the issue of overproduction, limiting the number of units and selection will let us know what's in demand after it sells out," Mingyu stood his ground. "That'll mean we can tweak products after the first batch and improve."

"The selection is already on a small scale, do you really think cutting down is the smartest thing to be doing?" Jeonghan could feel his temperature rising.

"You're not even going to consider my suggestions, are you?" Mingyu scoffed.

"I'll consider them if and when I feel like they can improve our project," Jeonghan defended.

"Your, your project. Everything is just about you, you and you! What's the point of these meetings when I end up having to bend to your will?!" Mingyu spat. "Why won't you fucking listen to me?! You made it clear that you're not interested in me but at least treat me as an equal! Listen to me, damn it! You're just like my father, how am I supposed to work if both of you treat me like I'm some bumbling idiot! I'm smart, Yoon Jeonghan!"

Jeonghan stood in silence as the taller man stormed out of the hotel room.

"Oh, fuck me," Jeonghan mumbled as he fell back onto the plush sofa.

The brunette sat looking up at the ceiling with his hands fisted at his sides. Jeonghan really didn't mean to sound so harsh but he just hated letting go of control. He'd woken up that morning with the expectation that he'd feel nothing but regret but instead Jeonghan found himself just peacefully staring at a sleeping Mingyu -- there was not a single ounce of regret and that scared him. Jeonghan had three things that he prioritised over everything else; first was always Dokyeom, second was money and third was his job. Everything else was thrown under miscellaneous, things that he didn't consider of importance. The main issue for Jeonghan was that Mingyu was throwing his priorities out of order, the boy -- or man, he should say -- had the audacity to question him, to confront him and challenge his authority and that was very...refreshing and his body responded to it. Mingyu made him feel things.

As much as Jeonghan hated to admit it, Mingyu reminded him so much of Dokyeom and the fact that the two shared the same age didn't really help. Both Mingyu and Dokyeom were needy, quick to get upset and the two of them were equally spoilt -- sure Dokyeom was the product of his own doting ways but that didn't matter at the current moment. He felt the overwhelming urge to spoil the CEO's son the same way he doted on Dokyeom and that was where his internal battle began. Jeonghan didn't have a very healthy relationship with the word 'love' but he'd never considered himself to be in fear of it, more like he was cautious of it. After being abandoned by his mother and being forced to be independent, his ability to trust others just wasn't there. The idea of having someone to lean on was great in theory but there was that constant voice in his head that told him to be careful and stay guarded. He didn't want to get hurt and as long as he stayed alone he couldn't be hurt -- that was his mindset. Still, he couldn't deny that he was attracted to Mingyu -- that was why he was giving the younger man such a hard time. It was his defence mechanism, deter them until they all ran away. However, this time he actually wanted Mingyu to come back.

The brunette sat in complete silence biting at the skin of his lower lip for several minutes, he was having an internal debate with himself. Jeonghan finally got up and grabbed his coat and pocketed his phone. He knew he was being reckless but he didn't give a single flying fuck. He'd already fucked up, might as well continue his streak right? He immediately thought back to the words he'd preached at Wonwoo. Jeonghan needed to take his own advice, practice what you preach and all that bullshit.

He made his way down to the hotel lobby with intentions of calling the younger man only he didn't have to. Mingyu sat in one of the sofas in by the entrance with head hung low while he bit at the skin around his fingernails -- a habit that Jeonghan noticed the younger man doing whenever he was deep in thought. Jeonghan walked over to the sofa and stood in front of the younger man. Mingyu continued to have his head lowered until the brunette reached out and touched his hand.

"You hungry?" Jeonghan asked.

"No", Mingyu answered but his stomach betrayed him and gave a groaning protest.

"Are you hungry?" Jeonghan repeated.

"Yeah," Mingyu nodded.

"Then let's go out for lunch, we're not going to get anything done on empty stomachs...unless you don't want to join me," Jeonghan said but he tightened his grip on Mingyu's larger hand.

"I'll go," Mingyu stood up and followed shorter man.

Mingyu had no idea where Jeonghan was taking him but he wasn't complaining, he was still angry but he was also a simple man -- he listened to his stomach more than his brain, sad but true. They walked through the business district and took a detour down a side street before Jeonghan lead him down a rather suspect looking set of stairs. Mingyu ducked his head at the low entrance and continued following the brunette down a narrow corridor. A pair of red and blue curtains came into view followed by the sound of chatter and rather old sounding Japanese music.

"You like Ramen, right?" Jeonghan looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Mingyu nodded.

"Good," Jeonghan replied and held one of the curtains open.

Mingyu stepped inside and looked around at the small Ramen shop. The interior was only big enough to seat ten people at maximum capacity and the seating was all at the counter, no private tables at all. Jeonghan took a seat down at the spot furthest from the door and gestured for Mingyu to join him. The younger man did as he was told. The brunette handed him a sheet of paper with a grid printed on the front and proceeded to filling out his own.

"What am I supposed to do?" Mingyu asked.

"Customise your order. Tick the boxes and hand it over to the man wearing the blue bandanna," Jeonghan nodded over at an old man wearing a faded blue bandanna over a bald head.

The two businessman handed over their slips of paper and sat in silence. Mingyu suppressed his need to bite his nails and Jeonghan allowed himself to chew on his lower lip. In the end it was the older man who took the initiative.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Jeonghan sighed. "And every time I've acted like a self-righteous asshole. You don't deserve it, you really don't."

Mingyu turned to look at Jeonghan, the older man looked sincere.

"If you haven't already noticed, I'm not exactly the type to go out of my way to feed the poor or commit random acts of kindness but I am the kind of person who is willing to own up to my mistakes...eventually," Jeonghan said. "I've got issues but you probably already know that, right?"

"I had an inkling," Mingyu nodded.

"I don't want to get into it but all you need to know is that I'm very self-reliant. I don't like asking for help and I don't like people entering my bubble," Jeonghan handed the younger man a pair of chopsticks and a spoon.

Mingyu took the offered cutlery.

"Where are you going with this? Are you just taking me out to lunch just to lighten the blow? You could've just rejected me back in the hotel lobby," Mingyu frowned.

"Let me finish," Jeonghan pressed his finger against the seam of Mingyu's lips. "I'm taking you to lunch because I want to and I'm not rejecting you, okay?"

"Then what are trying to say?" Mingyu asked, he wanted a clear and concise statement from Jeonghan's mouth.

"I'm not ready for any sort of official labels between us and I'm not ready to rush into a relationship but I do feel something towards you," Jeonghan said. "I'd like to see where things will go."

"So you're saying you want to take things slow?" Mingyu couldn't help but get his hopes up.

"Very slow," Jeonghan nodded.

"But we've already slept together, forget third base, we went for a home run," Mingyu reasoned.

"I never said we were playing by the rules, we can break a few," Jeonghan smiled as their food arrived. "If that's okay with a rule follower like you?"

"Fuck the rules," Mingyu nodded frantically like an excited puppy.

"Eat your Ramen, it's getting cold," Jeonghan said as he rolled up his sleeves. "Don't slouch, it's bad for your back and be careful of your shirt, it'll stain."

Mingyu straighten his back like the older man asked and dug into his Ramen. Every few slurps of his noodles he would look over at the brunette but the man wasn't even giving him a single glance. Just as he was about to give up, the brunette reached over and grabbed the back of his neck. Mingyu's eyes bulged out of his head as Jeonghan gave him a quick peck on the lips and another on his forehead.

"Was that what you wanted?" Jeonghan cocked a brow as he went back to eating.

"Um..." Mingyu forgot how to talk, instead he lowered his head and started slurping noodles again.

"Did you want to go out for dessert after?" Jeonghan asked his dongsaeng, hm...dongsaeng, Jeonghan very much preferred that title for Mingyu over coworker.

"I don't know, I have a very refined palette. I won't settle for just anything," Mingyu tried to play it cool -- despite squealing like a teenage girl on the inside.

"Refined palette? You had my dick in your mouth," Jeonghan said and immediately heard choking sounds come from Mingyu.

The poor boy was coughing profusely as he covered his mouth with his hand. Jeonghan smiled mischievously as he played with the soft-boiled egg in his bowl. He took it back, taking a chance on Mingyu might not be a reckless decision after all.

"My bad," Jeonghan chuckled as he helped Mingyu with his situation.

"Must you always have a witty comeback?" Mingyu asked as Jeonghan handed him a napkin.

"In a war of words I'll always win, get used to it...Mingyu-yah," Jeonghan said with a wink. "But honestly, I'll be more thoughtful about listening to your opinions. Starting with reducing the number of items in the collection."

"Really?" Mingyu's eyebrows shot into his forehead.

"Yeah," Jeonghan nodded. "Now finish your food so we can go for dessert."

"By dessert do you mean actual dessert or..." Mingyu trailed off getting red faced as he slurped his last bit of broth.

"We can have both," Jeonghan simply answered.

Mingyu choked all over again.

* * *

 

"Soonyoung-hyung! Soonyoung-hyung!" Siwoo tugged at the hem of his teacher's apron.

"Oh, sorry," Soonyoung crouched down so he was eye level with the little boy. "What did you need?"

"Are you staying with me until my dad gets here?" Siwoo asked shifting his weight from foot to foot. "You're not leaving early again, are you?"

Soonyoung suddenly felt very guilty. Ever since his last run-in with Wonwoo, he'd been finding any excuse to leave before the man got there. He just didn't have the guts to look the man in the eyes after everything. Soonyoung really did like Wonwoo but he was still Siwoo's teacher and being romantically involved with a pupil's father just didn't seem right -- it was downright unprofessional. He felt like an unwelcome guest in their happy little household.

"How's your dad been?" Soonyoung asked despite knowing better.

"Alright," Siwoo pouted. "He's got lots of important work stuff to do so he can't read my bedtime stories. I have to read them myself."

"That's not what you want, is it?" Soonyoung felt bad for the four year old.

"Dad works hard, reading by myself isn't too bad but dad reads really good. He can make really cool voices," Siwoo said proudly.

"He must love you a lot," Soonyoung smiled.

"He does," Siwoo nodded.

"Your dad deserves someone to love him as much as he loves you, don't you agree?" Soonyoung watched as the four year old coloured in a picture of a flower.

"Can't _you_ do that?" Siwoo looked up at Soonyoung, the four year old was dead serious.

"What?" Soonyoung's eyes widened -- well, as wide as they could.

"You're single, my dad is single, you're the adult. You do the math, Soonyoung-hyung," Siwoo said as he picked up a green crayon.

"Siwoo," Soonyoung couldn't believe what the kid just said.

"You like my dad right?" Siwoo asked.

Soonyoung swallowed, Siwoo was a whole lot more perceptive than he thought. The kid was smart but Soonyoung didn't think he was _that_ smart.

"My dad likes you too," Siwoo continued. "Adults are so weird, you don't tell each other how you feel and then you both get hurt. That's not very smart."

"You're not wrong," Soonyoung couldn't believe he getting counseling from a four year old.

"So do you like my dad?" Siwoo adjusted his glasses with chubby hands.

"I do," Soonyoung pouted as he rested his head on the table.

"Dad, do you like Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo called out into the corridor.

"Siwoo, there's no one there-" Soonyoung started to say only there was someone there, Jeon Wonwoo stood in the doorway with his briefcase under his arm.

"Oh no," Soonyoung mumbled.

"Dad, do you like Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo repeated.

Wonwoo looked from his son over to the daycare teacher who stared back at him like a dear in headlights with his mouth slightly agape.

"I do," Wonwoo's voice replied with a slight hint of anxiety.

"Then why are you two telling me instead of each other? Adults are so weird," Siwoo's eyebrows furrowed as he repeated his earlier statement.

"Are you okay with that, Siwoo? You know, me and your dad seeing each other?" Soonyoung asked as he allowed himself to glance over at the man who stood by the door.

"I'm four, I can't tell you what to do," Siwoo shrugged.

"Smart-ass," Wonwoo muttered under his breath at his own son.

"I need to go pee-pee, I'll be back," Siwoo ran right into the washroom leaving the two men alone.

"Hi," was all Soonyoung could manage.

"Hi," Wonwoo returned.

"Look, I have some things I'd like to get off my chest," Soonyoung stood up and walked over to Wonwoo.

"I'm listening," Wonwoo nodded despite his anxiousness.

"I really like you, I think you're great and I had a great time during dinner at your place," Soonyoung began.

"But?" Wonwoo frowned, he knew there was a but.

"But I don't want to get into anything unless I know that both you and Siwoo are okay with me being in your lives. Children at his age don't like the concept of change and I don't want to intrude or ruin the equilibrium in your lives. I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to write myself into your narrative," Soonyoung said with his hands nervously playing with the strings on his apron.

"On the contrary, I think my narrative needs more characters...or just one Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo pointed his finger at the shorter man making it a little more obvious.

Soonyoung smiled.

"Dinner again at my place?" Wonwoo asked with a hopeful expression.

"Now?" Soonyoung cocked a brow.

"Right now," Wonwoo nodded.

"Say yes!" Siwoo shouted from where he was on the toilet.

"Yes, I'll go," Soonyoung agreed.

"Great," Wonwoo replied.

"Are you done? Can I come back now?!" Siwoo asked.

Both men laughed as they watched an impatient four year old Siwoo walk out of the washroom. It really was hard to believe the boy was only four, he had so much character for someone who was born just yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me again. I've managed to crawl out from uni hell to post this chapter. I'm sorry if my updates are taking over a week but assignments have been piling up. ;A; plus my work hours are getting longer. Hope you guys don't mind! 
> 
> Happy reading, folks!~


	6. Christmas Break

Being called to Kim Sanghoon's office was a regular occurrence for Jeonghan, though the reason why he was summoned was never the same. The brunette could never make any predictions when it came to the CEO of 'RQ&S,' the man was unpredictable. Jeonghan adjusted his tie and checked his shoes for any visible scuffing before he walked through the open doors of the older man's office. He was immediately greeted by the sight of Kim Sanghoon who had a glass of amber liquid swirling in a glass -- whiskey on the rocks was always the man's drink of choice. Jeonghan had prayed for the man's liver every single day, the man drank like a fish.

"Did you need me for anything, sir?" Jeonghan asked as he approached his boss.

"We've had to increase production for almost all items in our winter collection since the launch in Tokyo. Our manufacturer is having trouble keeping up with demand, Jeonghan," the older man said as he set down his glass.

"I'll go and sort that out immediately, I'll make sure we find an appropriate manufacturer to meet demands by today, sir," Jeonghan immediately apologised as he turned to leave.

"Hold on there, my boy," Sanghoon grabbed Jeonghan's shoulder forcing the brunette to freeze.

"That wasn't a complaint, Yoon Jeonghan," the older man gave a hearty chuckle. "I'm praising you."

"Oh?" Jeonghan asked.

"You're a miracle worker for this company," Sanghoon gave Jeonghan's back a pat. "Our sales haven't been this high since last year's Spring collection."

"It wasn't all my doing, sir. 'RQ&S' have a very reliable team," Jeonghan wasn't the greatest as accepting praise.

"You give yourself too little credit."

"I had Mingyu to help me as well, sir," Jeonghan said.

"I doubt he was of much use to you, that boy doesn't have the same knack for business like you and I. He's just like his mother, too soft and trusting to survive in this business," Sanghoon sighed.

"He's a very hard worker, sir," Jeonghan defended, the man was being a little too harsh on his son.

"Oh? You're praising him now? Did you two finally click?" Sanghoon cocked a bushy brow at the brunette.

"You could say we're civil," Jeonghan answered, he wasn't going to tell the man that he and Mingyu bumped uglies.

"I hope you continue to stay civil, the deadline for your project is getting closer and I'm looking very forward to seeing what you and my son have come up with," Sanghoon picked up his glass and downed the remaining liquid.

"I won't disappoint you and neither will Mingyu," Jeonghan nodded.

"I'll take your word for it," Sanghoon said.

Jeonghan left the CEO's office and turned to go back to the elevator. He didn't make it five steps before a disgruntled looking Mingyu appeared just outside by the secretary's desk. He had a hand his pocket and his teeth were gritted.

"Eavesdropping?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"Does it really count as eavesdropping when my dad's practically shouting?" Mingyu asked with a displeased tone.

"You heard what he said about you?" Jeonghan guessed.

"Nothing I do can please that man," Mingyu pursed his lips as they walked into the elevator.

"That's just how he is, Mingyu. The man is a firm believer in tough love, you can't expect him to just hold your hand through everything," Jeonghan reasoned.

"I'm still his son, I would at least expect him to give me a pat on the back -- I'm not even asking for praise, hyung," Mingyu let out a sharp exhale.

"Give it time, he probably just wants to see you keep up the good work, you know, just to make sure this success with the Japanese launch isn't a one time fluke."

"Why are you trying so hard to defend him? You heard firsthand what he thinks about me. He said I was too soft to survive in this business, he has absolutely no faith in me at all!" Mingyu stormed out of the elevator.

"I'm not defending him, I'm just trying to be rational," Jeonghan followed the younger man into their meeting room.

"Well, stop being rational and be a little more sympathetic," Mingyu shot Jeonghan a look. "Put yourself in my shoes for a second, unlike you I'm not the golden child who can do no wrong. Everything I do is not good enough in his eyes."

"Mingyu, calm down," Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"What do I have to do to get a little credit around here?!" Mingyu slammed his hand against the table.

"Can we leave this conversation for after work? We have things to do, Mingyu," Jeonghan picked up the fabric swatches that fell from the impact.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" Mingyu gave the brunette an accusing gaze. "You don't give a shit at all."

"Mingyu, we just started getting along, don't do this," Jeonghan rubbed his temples.

"Don't do what, Jeonghan?" Mingyu frowned. "Embarrass you? Bother you? Be a hindrance to you?"

"You're jumping to conclusions and I don't appreciate it," Jeonghan was not happy.

"You don't appreciate a lot of things, me included," Mingyu scoffed as he stormed out of the room. "Pretend I said nothing, just like my dad does."

Jeonghan was left standing in the room by himself, the ticking of the wall clock being the only audible sound. Something Mingyu's father said definitely hit a nerve with the younger man, he was sure of it. The brunette took a seat in one of the swivel chairs and started chewing on his lower lip, he'd been wrong about his original deduction regarding Mingyu. The twenty-five year old wasn't a daddy's boy. From what he'd gathered from the interactions between the father and son, he was now convinced that Mingyu had an inferiority complex -- most likely brought on by his father.

"What a mess," Jeonghan breathed.

He knew that there wouldn't be any easy sailing when it came to him and Mingyu but he didn't expect a hiccup to come so soon. It had only been a week since their little heart to heart in Japan. Jeonghan rubbed a hand down his face and pulled himself up from his chair, he needed to get his ass down to the advertising department. The Christmas break was coming and he had to get all promotional material finalised...with or without Mingyu.

* * *

 

"Are you sure it's around here?" Jeonghan asked Dokyeom as they walked down the street.

"I swear it's around here," Dokyeom nodded as he scanned the surrounding restaurants.

"We've been looking for twenty minutes now, Kyeom," Jeonghan said as he squinted, his vision was bad but it was twice as bad at night.

"Siri, find Hubert French restaurant," Dokyeom resorted to using his phone for support.

"Sorry, I don't speak Korean," Siri's monotone voice replied.

"This bitch," Dokyeom gave his phone a flabbergasted look.

Jeonghan broke out into laughter.

"I swear I walked past it a few days ago, hyung," Dokyeom pouted.

"It's fine, I'm not too picky. Let's just head out for barbecue, you never get full eating at those fancy places anyway," Jeonghan said as he stroked Dokyeom's back and fixed his dongsaeng's scarf.

"Sorry, hyung," Dokyeom apologized as they made a u-turn.

"No harm done," Jeonghan ruffled his younger brother's hair before he went in with his favourite question. "Whose idiot are you?"

"Jeonghan-hyung's idiot," Dokyeom answered with a smile.

"Come on," Jeonghan pulled his dongsaeng along.

Just as they were about to enter their favourite barbecue place in Hongdae, Jeonghan stopped dead in his tracks. A solemn looking Mingyu appeared just outside the entrance. His suit jacket was scrunched up in his hand and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The stench of alcohol invaded Jeonghan's nose as the younger man approached. The brunette stepped back when Mingyu staggered in his direction.

"Watch it," Dokyeom stepped in front Jeonghan and gave Mingyu's chest a firm push -- nothing excessive but enough to make the taller man back up a couple of steps.

"Don't touch me," Mingyu growled and shoved Dokyeom's fist away.

"Kyeom-ah, let's go," Jeonghan patted Dokyeom's back and nudging him inside.

"You go in first, Jeonghan-hyung, I'll follow you in," Dokyeom said not taking his eyes off Mingyu.

"Are you sure?" Jeonghan looked back and forth between the two younger men.

"I'll behave, I promise," Dokyeom gave Jeonghan a reassuring nod.

Jeonghan didn't say anything in return, he went up the stairs leading to the restaurant and kept a watchful eye.

"So you're the precious younger brother, Jeonghan's always baby-talking on the phone," Mingyu slurred as he looked at Dokyeom up and down.

"And you're the pain in the ass making my older brother's life so difficult," Dokyeom retorted.

"Why he gives you so much attention, I'll never know," Mingyu scoffed.

"You don't have to know because you're just his coworker, don't go sticking your nose in his private life," Dokyeom said while eyeing the man who shared his age.

Mingyu scowled.

"I don't know what your problem is but my brother isn't someone who has time to play games, if you don't respect me then at least respect Jeonghan-hyung and stop being so difficult. I'd like to have my brother back, stop giving him trouble so he can come home and have dinner at a decent hour," Dokyeom said as he left Mingyu on the sidewalk.

"What happened? You two didn't fight, did you?" Jeonghan interrogated his dongsaeng the second the boy sat down at the table.

"No, we didn't," Dokyeom shook his head.

"What did you say to him?" Jeonghan pushed.

"I told him to stop causing you trouble," Dokyeom answered as he opened the menu.

"He's not solely to blame," Jeonghan said as he too looked at his own menu. "If you haven't already noticed, my mouth is a little bit of a problem. Triggering even."

"Only when you're provoked," Dokyeom defended.

"I don't know, Dokyeom-ah," Jeonghan sighed. "I'm not exactly the definition of level-headed."

"Like that time you bitch-slapped the sink because the water wasn't running?" Dokyeom teased.

"That sink had it coming," Jeonghan shot Dokyeom a look.

"So what's the plan for Christmas? Did you get everything done for the footwear collection?" Dokyeom asked as he called over a waiter.

"I'd say we're at sixty percent, all promotional material was finalised today and sent back to our advertising department. The remaining work should be completed after the Christmas period," Jeonghan said before turning to give the waiter their order.

"So you're free to hang out for Christmas this year?" Dokyeom perked up, he'd missed out on Christmas with Jeonghan last year because of his older brother's work.

"Yeah," Jeonghan smiled. "My time is all yours."

"Awesome," Dokyeom pulled out his phone.

Jeonghan watched curiously as his dongsaeng flicked through his phone and slid the device across the table. The brunette looked down at the screen to see a picture of a ski resort. He looked back up at Dokyeom who was smiling from ear to ear.

"Care to explain?"

"You, me and the snow," Dokyeom said. "We haven't gone away in ages, this place has a lot of positive reviews and we can rent a whole cabin. You can invite Wonwoo along too, it'll be fun."

Jeonghan looked at the phone once again and smiled up at Dokyeom.

"Let's go," Jeonghan agreed, travelling away from the city actually sounded amazing -- he hadn't experienced the quiet of a rural area since they moved from Hwasong to Seoul.

* * *

 

"It's fucking cold," Wonwoo immediately complained the second he got out of their shuttle bus to the ski resort.

"Suck it up, princess," Jeonghan said despite his teeth chattering -- having no fat on his body sucked, there was no insulation.

"Dad, hold my hand!" Siwoo's voice shouted. "My legs are short and the snow is deep!"

"One step at a time, bud," Wonwoo went to help his son.

"You know, I never realised how phallic snow covered trees were until this very moment," Jeonghan commented as he stared at mother nature's work.

"Great, we traveled to the middle of bumfuck nowhere to see a bunch of snow penises," Wonwoo said as he carried Siwoo on his back, the four year old was both amazed and disgusted by the white sheets that covered the ground.

"Dad, don't drop me please," Siwoo tightened his grip on Wonwoo.

"I won't," Wonwoo rolled his eyes at his son's dramatics as the group moved forward.

"Where's the cabin again?" Jeonghan asked as they followed Dokyeom's lead.

"Just up ahead," Dokyeom answered.

"You know, I heard a lot of horror stories about snow cabins," Wonwoo said. "Someone always goes missing and doesn't come back."

"You won't go missing, dad," Siwoo patted the side of his dad's head.

"Thanks bud," Wonwoo smiled.

"They'd give you back because you're no fun," Siwoo added.

"Ooh, burn," Jeonghan chuckled.

"I'm not letting you hang out with Jeonghan anymore," Wonwoo shook his head, his son was like a sponge -- once he learnt something, it stayed.

"When did you say your friend Soonyoung was coming?" Jeonghan asked as they reached the patio of their cabin.

"Tonight, hopefully," Wonwoo answered.

"Still nervous that he won't?" Jeonghan guessed.

"I don't know, going away with someone you just became friendly with is a little...too fast," Wonwoo said. "I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable."

"Awe, our stone-faced Wonwoo has a crush," Jeonghan teased.

"I'm serious, I don't want to chase him away...again," Wonwoo breathed.

"Dad, don't jinx it," Siwoo pouted.

"Sorry, bud," Wonwoo apologised.

"Okay, so there are four rooms in this deluxe cabin, two upstairs and two downstairs -- one for each adult," Dokyeom announced as they set foot inside.

"I'm claiming the one downstairs," Jeonghan said as he disappeared into the room closest to the kitchen -- no stair climbing for him, nope.

He unpacked his toiletries and walked back into the living area to see Siwoo on the sofa. The four year old was sitting with his legs dangling off the edge and he had a picture book in his hands. Jeonghan always had a soft spot for Wonwoo's kid, he saw himself in the four year old plus the fact that the boy lacked a mother kind of hit home -- it made him want to give the kid more affection, something that he'd lacked for most of his life.

"How's my favourite four year old doing?" Jeonghan plopped himself down on the sofa beside Siwoo.

"I'm the only four year old you know," Siwoo said as he leaned into Jeonghan.

"Why so down? Anything bothering you?" Jeonghan asked.

"Can a man be a mom?" Siwoo looked up at the brunette.

"Only if they're okay with being called one," Jeonghan answered. "If they aren't, it's better if you don't call them that."

"Oh," Siwoo lowered his head.

"Why the odd question?"

"Dad likes my teacher," Siwoo said. "I want to practice for when Soonyoung-hyung becomes family."

"You sound confident, how do you know he'll become family? They haven't known each other that long," Jeonghan couldn't believe he was getting so invested.

"Because dad smiled at Soonyoung-hyung the same way he smiles at me," Siwoo concluded.

"I can't really argue with that," Jeonghan noted.

"I know," Siwoo shrugged.

"You should slow down and just enjoy being four instead of playing cupid," Jeonghan ruffled Siwoo's hair.

"I'm just trying to make my dad happy," Siwoo fixed his mussed up hair. "Dad needs it, he takes care of me and now it's my turn to take care of him."

"Wonwoo you lucky bastard," Jeonghan said under his breath -- he suddenly wished he had a mini-me to help with his love life as well.

* * *

 

"It looks like your reservation didn't go through, I can't seem to find you on our system at all," the receptionist said as she scrolled on her computer.

"Are you sure? I have the confirmation email right here," Minghao handed the woman his phone.

"I'm sorry, it's our mistake," the woman apologized. "Just hang on while I sort something out for you, I promise we'll fix this."

"Remind me again why this was a good idea?" A sour Kim Mingyu asked as he stood with his bags at his feet.

"Don't get pissy with me," Minghao glared. "You're the one who said you needed to clear your head and I gave my suggestion."

"I can't believe we came all the way here just to be told our reservation didn't go through," Mingyu shook his head.

When the artist had suggested a nice trip to enjoy the ski slopes, Mingyu had been all for it. He knew how to ski, he was great at skiing. The only problem was that they'd run into obstacle after obstacle just getting to the ski resort. The engine on their rental car had frozen on the drive over, Mingyu had forgotten to pack any underwear for the trip and now they were told that the cabin they'd booked wasn't on the system. Literally nothing else could've been worse than their current situation.

"Hi, I'm in cabin ten-four and was wondering if you could send over some towels," Mingyu cursed, that was Jeonghan's voice. Fucking fantastic.

"Jeonghan?" Minghao acknowledged the brunette first.

"Oh hey!" Jeonghan was excited to see the artist...until he saw the telephone pole that was Kim Mingyu trying to hide himself behind his friend.

"You staying here too?" Minghao asked.

"Yeah, me and a few other guys," Jeonghan answered.

Mingyu didn't like the sound of that.

"What about you guys? Checking in or out?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"We're trying to check in but we're having some issues with our booking," Minghao nodded over at the reception desk.

"I see," Jeonghan nodded as he weighed his options. "Well if you don't mind sharing a room, you could bunk up in my cabin with Dokyeom. Beds are pretty big in case you don't feel comfortable with limbs touching."

"That sounds really good actually," Minghao replied before Mingyu could protest.

"I'm in cabin ten-four, come find me if you don't end up finding any available cabins," Jeonghan waved as he turned to leave.

Just as he passed Mingyu, the brunette reached out and fixed the collar of Mingyu's turtleneck and pulled off a piece of lint from his chest.

"You might not be all too comfy with the idea but it's better than freezing outside with the snow penises," Jeonghan said as he exited the reception area.

"He has a point, you don't want to be remembered as the dude who died next to a snow penis," the artist clapped his friend on the shoulder as he began trailing after the brunette.

"Ah fuck," Mingyu threw out as he too followed the lanky artist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know this chapter is kind of a filler episode but I promise I'm going somewhere with this. Next week's update is going to be a whole lot more eventful, promise!~


	7. Snow

Jeonghan shuffled out of bed with eyes half-open and a blanket draped over his shoulders. Sure it was warm inside the cabin but he was hypersensitive when it came to temperature change. The brunette held the blanket close as he made his way into the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water. It was way past midnight but he just couldn't sleep, after having his sleeping patterns fucked up because of work he never managed to get back to a proper schedule. The unfamiliar bed he was in also didn't help, the mattress was slightly too firm and the sheets felt scratchy. Just as he turned the corner, Jeonghan stopped. Mingyu was standing over the stove stirring a pot with a pair of chopsticks. The taller man turned to look at the brunette, they shared a moment of awkward silence.

Jeonghan quickly went over to grab a glass from the overhead cabinet, he filled it water water and turned to leave. Before he could slip away, Mingyu's warm palm wrapped around his wrist forcing him to stop. Jeonghan looked at the CEO's son with a questioning gaze.

"Can we talk?" Mingyu asked.

"Sure," Jeonghan said as he set his glass down on the kitchen bench.

"Thank you for letting me and Minghao stay in your cabin...despite what happened between us," Mingyu said, his face filled with regret.

"Care to tell me why you drank yourself stupid that night I saw you in Hongdae?" Jeonghan leaned against the wooden threshold to the kitchen.

"I don't know, I just wanted to forget," Mingyu frowned. "Drinking seems to work for my dad."

"What did you want to forget?" Jeonghan pulled his blanket closer.

"The way I acted, the way I treated you and how much I resent my old man," Mingyu answered as he turned the stove off.

"I figured," Jeonghan nodded as he watched Mingyu slurp the ramen noodles he'd just made.

"I was surprised your younger brother didn't kick me out when he saw me enter the cabin," Mingyu said.

"He's the kind to not hold grudges," Jeonghan explained. "Forgiveness comes easier to him than it does for me."

"Does that mean you're still mad at me?" Mingyu asked.

"Rather than mad, you could say I'm a little concerned," Jeonghan replied.

"Concerned?" Mingyu's eyebrows drew together.

"What was it about your father's words that made you react that way? There's more to it, isn't there?" Jeonghan speculated.

Mingyu halted his chopsticks.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Jeonghan cocked his head.

Mingyu didn't answer.

"Hey, I'm sorry for not being more sympathetic toward you that day, okay? You needed someone to lean on and I gave you an open mouth. I'll be nicer, okay?" Jeonghan moved over to rub Mingyu's back.

"Can I stay in your room?" Mingyu looked over at Jeonghan with a hopeful expression.

"Sofa's not working out for you?" Jeonghan smiled playfully.

"It feels like I'm sleeping on an uneven hiking trail," Mingyu admitted.

"Finish your ramen," Jeonghan patted Mingyu's back as he headed back to his room, the brunette stopped by the threshold and looked over his shoulder. "I'll leave the door unlocked, come in when you're ready."

Jeonghan climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up to his waist as he finished replying to an email. He knew he shouldn't be working during his break but the sudden lack of responsibilities made him antsy, it just didn't feel right doing nothing despite it once being his favourite pastime. Just as he pressed send, the door to his room cracked open and in came Mingyu carrying a pillow.

"Do you sleep on the left or right side?" Jeonghan asked as he sat up.

"In the middle," Mingyu swallowed.

"Same," Jeonghan replied.

There was a long moment of silence.

"I'll take the left," Mingyu finally said before he slipped under the covers.

Jeonghan hid his amusement as he watched Mingyu settle in on the opposite side of the bed and made sure none of their limbs were touching. It was actually nice sharing a bed with Mingyu again. Despite the space that separated them, Jeonghan could feel the heat radiating from the younger man's body -- Jeonghan wanted to move closer. So he did.

"Jeonghan-hyung?" Mingyu asked, his breath hitched.

"I'm not trying anything, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan assured. "I'm cold and you're warm, think of it as helping the less fortunate."

"O-okay," Mingyu was stiff -- Jeonghan felt like a monkey hanging on a tall tree.

"You didn't answer my question earlier, why did your dad's words affect you to that extent?" Jeonghan rested his head on Mingyu's chest.

"We've always had issues," Mingyu's tone became serious. "Our relationship has always been just him giving me money and asking about school when and if we saw each other. My mom passed away when I was ten and after she died, he went from being just distant to the man you see now who doesn't believe in positive reinforcement."

"Well that explains a few things," Jeonghan was genuinely surprised, he'd just assumed the CEO was secretive about his marriage because he liked his privacy.

"Yeah," Mingyu sighed.

"Must've been lonely," Jeonghan patted Mingyu's chest.

"Even before she died, dad and I didn't really have any issues, we were just awkward but after her passing the man became such a condescending prick. I know I shouldn't be badmouthing the man who paid for my comfortable lifestyle but you've seen firsthand what kind of person he is."

"He's definitely...controlling," Jeonghan agreed.

"I feel like I'll never be able to please that man, not as long as this face reminds him of my mom," Mingyu said pointing at himself.

"I'm no therapist but I think you and your dad need to start talking more," Jeonghan touched Mingyu's soft locks.

"I've been trying to for a decade, hyung. He doesn't want to listen," Mingyu's hand formed a fist under the covers.

"Let's just forget about this for the time being and enjoy the trip. It's almost Christmas, don't let this ruin it for you," Jeonghan suggested.

"I'd like that," Mingyu nodded.

"You okay with me being this close or did you want me to back up?" The brunette looked into Mingyu's eyes.

"I'd rather you didn't move," Mingyu answered sheepishly.

"You're actually not bad company when you aren't being a pain in the ass," Jeonghan said as Mingyu leaned in so they were nose to nose.

"Such lovely words always leave your mouth," Mingyu commented sarcastically before giving the brunette's lips a soft peck.

"You need lip balm," Jeonghan teased as he licked a line over Mingyu's chapped lips.

"Fix it for me, Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu whispered in his hyung's ear.

"You better get your hand out of my pants, Kim Mingyu. We're not doing anything, I refuse to do any physical activity in my nice pyjamas," Jeonghan warned as he faced away from Mingyu.

"Hyung," Mingyu pressed up close against Jeonghan's back.

"Goodnight," Jeonghan said and turned off the lamp by his side of the bed.

"Goodnight," Mingyu said grudgingly as he gave up and settled in to sleep.

"Are you using my buttcrack to keep your dick warm?" Jeonghan asked as he felt something solid press against his behind.

Mingyu pretended to snore.

"You fucking palm tree," Jeonghan mumbled.

* * *

 

Soonyoung felt very out of place. He stood in the snow with his glove clad hands stuck inside his pockets and a large woolen beanie pulled low on his head. He'd arrived at the ski resort the previous night around the evening and had spent the majority of his time familiarizing himself with Wonwoo's group of friends. From the high power corporate types that were Kim Mingyu and Yoon Jeonghan to the eccentric artist Xu Minghao, Soonyoung just didn't feel like he belonged. Everyone else seemed so interesting compared to himself, it was a little disheartening. As he prepared to head back to the cabin, Soonyoung felt a pair of arms wrap around his legs.

"Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo's voice asked.

"Hey Siwoo," Soonyoung said as he got down on one knee.

"My glasses are all blurry," the four year old complained.

"Do you need me to help with that?" Soonyoung asked.

"Yes," Siwoo nodded.

"Where's your dad?" Soonyoung suddenly realized the four year old was alone.

"He went to buy food, he told me to wait here," Siwoo answered while Soonyoung wiped the layer of frost off his glasses.

"Are you having fun?"

"No," Siwoo pouted. " It's cold and the snow is weird and squishy."

"Not liking the snow?" Soonyoung was shocked, most kids loved the snow.

"Why are we paying money to be cold?" Siwoo looked up at Soonyoung with a dead serious expression.

"You've got a really good point there, buddy," Soonyoung chuckled, the kid was an absolute riot.

Soonyoung wiped away the tears of laughter from his eyes and followed Siwoo's gaze. The boy's fox-like eyes were focused on a family a few metres away. Siwoo stared intently as a mother helped her son build a snowman while the father was taking photos of the two a few steps away. Soonyoung frowned seeing the longing in Siwoo's eyes. He gently touched the boy's cheeks and nodded over at the empty sleds placed by a small set of slopes.

"You want to go sledding?"

"Is it fun?" Siwoo looked skeptical.

"You'll never know if you don't have a go," Soonyoung said holding out his hand.

"My legs are short!" Siwoo complained as Soonyoung tugged at his hand. "I can't take big steps, Soonyoung-hyung."

"You're going to catch up to your dad in no time, bud," Soonyoung smiled at the kid. "Those legs aren't going to stay short for long."

"It's going to take a long time, are you going to stay until then?" Siwoo's innocent little question made Soonyoung's heartbeat accelerate.

"I..." Soonyoung swallowed.

"You don't have to answer," Siwoo said. "But I'd really like you to."

"Thanks, Siwoo," Soonyoung replied, he wanted to as well, he just didn't know if Wonwoo felt the same.

* * *

 

Jeonghan stood between a bickering Mingyu and Dokyeom as the two argued for the third time that morning. First they'd fought over who got to use the bathroom, then they argued about who had eaten all the packets of ramen in the cabinets and now they were fighting about what activity to do in the snow.

"Why the fuck would you go snowboarding? You won't be able to fully enjoy the slopes that way," Mingyu scowled at Dokyeom.

"Skiing is for beginners, Jeonghan-hyung prefers snowboarding anyway. If you want to ski so bad, just go with Minghao," Dokyeom retorted.

"Why do you get Jeonghan?" Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"Blood's thicker than water," Dokyeom taunted. "Hint hint, I'm blood and you're water. As if he'd settle for spending time with your crusty ass."

"Can you two just play 'rock, paper, scissors' so we can go enjoy the slopes?" Minghao tapped his foot impatiently as he stood with Jeonghan.

"Please, the sun's going to set," Jeonghan yawned, staying idle was slowly signaling his body to sleep.

The two men did as suggested. Mingyu groaned the second he saw the results. He'd thrown out rock, Dokyeom used paper. Fuck. Dokyeom quickly grabbed his older brother's arm and headed for the chairlift without a single glance back. The man's face carried a shit eating grin as he passed them from above.

"See you in a bit, Mingyu," Jeonghan waved at his coworker.

"Sorry that you lost but not really," Dokyeom taunted the CEO's son as he rested his head on his older brother's shoulder.

"At least you know for sure that those two are related," Minghao teased his friend.

"Why didn't you tell me that Dokyeom guy was Jeonghan's brother?" Mingyu suddenly looked over accusingly as the artist. "You know how frustrated I was about him."

"You never asked," Minghao shrugged. "Plus I already thought you knew, putting two and two together is pretty easy."

"Let's just get on the chairlift," Mingyu trudged over to the large contraption -- it really felt like no one was on his side.

The two men rode the chairlift up to the top of the slopes and maneuvered their skis over to the edge of the slope. As promised on the brochure, the way down was steep and the hurdles looked very close together -- definitely not for beginners. Mingyu's eyes scanned around at the clusters of other patrons in search of Jeonghan. He quickly zeroed in on the brunette who was helping his younger brother fasten the snowboard onto his snow boot. A pang of jealousy surged through him as he watched Jeonghan continue to help Dokyeom with his snow goggles and zip up his jacket -- he thought he was the only one who got the special treatment.

"Can you stop staring? You look like a fucking sexual predator," Minghao smacked Mingyu in the back of the head.

"The guy has hands, why does he need Jeonghan to do that for him?" Mingyu asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Minghao rolled his eyes as he pivoted around. "I'm going first, I didn't come all the way here just to listen to your problems."

"You're a good friend, Xu Minghao," Mingyu threw out sarcastically as the lanky artist got to the edge of the slope.

"Are you going to ski or not?" Jeonghan's voice asked before the brunette's hand patted Mingyu's lower back.

"I don't know," Mingyu pouted.

"Are you sulking?" Jeonghan asked with a light chuckle.

"No," Mingyu lied.

"Okay, suit yourself," Jeonghan said as he got ready to snowboard.

The brunette pulled down his goggles and gave Mingyu a frown.

"I guess I'll just go with Dokyeom," Jeonghan said before he set off right behind his younger brother.

Mingyu knew he was continuing his streak of childish behaviour but he just couldn't get his emotions under control. He was no stranger to relationships but something about Jeonghan made him act irrationally, recklessly and completely unlike himself. He'd never considered himself the jealous type, no, usually he was usually the confident one in a relationship. Yoon Jeonghan was just so...so...different. The young COO was well aware of what he looked like and he was charismatic, observant and he knew how to control people -- Jeonghan wasn't just some average Joe. He was dealing with someone who wasn't going to fall for him just because he had a handsome face. Mingyu bit the inside of his cheek, why the fuck hadn't Jeonghan fallen for him yet?!

* * *

 

Soonyoung took three carrots out from the vegetable compartment of the fridge and rummaged through his pockets to find the small plastic bag filled with rocks he'd found in the snow. The dancer walked over to the living room where Siwoo sat cross-legged in front of the heater with a picture book in his lap. The four year old's brows were knitted together as he read and his little finger moved along as he read each word. Soonyoung smiled. He walked over to the five year old and sat down beside the boy.

"Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo looked up and adjusted his glasses.

"Do you want to play in the snow?" Soonyoung asked.

"Now? But it's dark," Siwoo looked out the window.

"Too dark to build a snowman?" Soonyoung asked holding up the carrots in his hands.

Siwoo closed his book and ran straight for the door and pulled on his boots. Soonyoung happily followed right behind. He helped the five year old with his coat and made sure the boy had his head and ears covered as well as his hands. The two walked hand in hand just outside the entrance of the cabin and got to work.

"You pound the snow together with your hands first and then you start rolling," Soonyoung instructed.

"Oh," Siwoo watched in amazement as the ball of snow got larger.

The two made a total of three snowmen, they only had three carrots so it was all they could make. Soonyoung had told Siwoo it was okay to make more snowmen without carrot noses but the five year old refused. Apparently Siwoo didn't like the idea of inequality among the snowmen -- Soonyoung thought it was actually kind of cute.

"Soonyoung-hyung! This snowman is you!" Siwoo chuckled as he used two small sticks to represent Soonyoung's slanted eyes.

"Does it look like me?" Soonyoung squinted next to the snowman causing the four year old to laugh even louder.

"This one is me," Siwoo pointed at the smallest snowman in the centre.

"And this one?" Soonyoung asked looking at the tallest of the three.

"That's my dad," Siwoo said proudly.

"It looks really good," Soonyoung smiled as he looked at their handy work.

"Like a family," Siwoo said as he stared at the snowmen.

Soonyoung swallowed hearing the longing in Siwoo's voice.

"Why are you two out here? It's cold," Wonwoo's voice asked as he came out wearing a coat over his pyjamas.

"Dad, look!" Siwoo waddled over and grabbed his dad's hand and lead him over to the snowmen.

Wonwoo looked at the three snowmen lined up in a row and immediately turned his gaze over to Soonyoung who gave him a sheepish smile. The man's cheeks were flushed from the cold and his nose had turned bright red. Wonwoo scooped Siwoo up into his arms and walked over to Soonyoung.

"Thanks for giving Siwoo something to do, he was getting sick of hanging around by himself," Wonwoo smiled at the shorter man.

"It was nice getting to play with Siwoo, for once I can give him my undivided attention. He never has me all to himself at the daycare centre," Soonyoung ruffled Siwoo's hair.

"Are you going to kiss now?" Siwoo asked with a straight face.

"Siwoo," Wonwoo gave his son a look.

"You're already here, just do it," Siwoo placed a hand behind each of their heads and pushed.

The two men had no time to react, their lips collided and Soonyoung let out a whimper while a wide eyed Wonwoo went rigid. The two shared a look of genuine shock before both relaxed. The kiss was sweet and completely breathtaking -- literally, because Siwoo had a surprisingly strong grip. The two broke away after the four year old let go but Soonyoung immediately had his lips captured again, this time by Siwoo whose chubby little hands held onto Soonyoung's ears to keep him from running away.

"One for dad and one for me, it's only fair," Siwoo smiled as he adjusted his crooked glasses.

Soonyoung and Wonwoo looked at each other before they looked at the four year old. What the fuck just happened?

"Do you want to go have some hot chocolate?" Wonwoo asked clearing his throat.

"S-sure," Soonyoung was still reeling.

Wonwoo headed back inside the cabin first while Soonyoung lingered in the front. He squatted down in the snow with his palms covering his face. He was suddenly so hot he couldn't even feel the cold. He looked through the cracks of his fingers at the three snowmen and felt his heartbeat accelerate.

"I'm so screwed," Soonyoung mumbled to himself, he was in trouble.

He was falling for both of them.

* * *

 

Jeonghan sat on the back patio of the cabin with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in his hands, courtesy of Wonwoo and Soonyoung. He'd intended on spending some time with Mingyu but the younger man had been a little standoffish, well, more than a little but he'd gotten used to Mingyu's brash behaviour over the course of their professional relationship. The brunette had thought there would be improvements after their talk but apparently not. He looked down at his wristwatch and frowned, it was already nine o'clock yet Mingyu had yet to come back to the cabin. Minghao had returned early in the evening along with him and Dokyeom so he didn't know where Mingyu was either. It also didn't help that Mingyu wasn't answering his phone and even then the coverage was pure rubbish so the chances of him even receiving their calls and messages were very slim. Just as he was starting to panic, a tall figure made its way toward the cabin. Jeonghan squinted against the darkness and let out a relieved sigh when Mingyu stepped onto the patio.

"We've been trying to reach you for hours, where were you?" Jeonghan asked as Mingyu walked past him.

"Out," Mingyu gave a brief answer.

"Out? That's all you've got to say?" Jeonghan got up from his chair and set down his mug.

"That's what I said, so what?" Mingyu's tone was curt.

"The least you could've done was tell everyone where you were, you could have gone missing out there," Jeonghan clenched his jaw. "We don't know anyone out here and the phone coverage isn't exactly stable, did it ever occur to you that you could've frozen out in the snow?"

"Well I haven't," Mingyu simply said as he headed inside.

Jeonghan didn't let him slide that easily. He stepped out into the snow and scooped a handful before hurling it at the back of Mingyu's head. The taller man froze.

"Did you just..." Mingyu's hand touched the dampness behind his head.

"Yes, I did," Jeonghan gave the CEO's son a smirk.

Mingyu headed back in the direction of the door. Jeonghan created space between them as he gathered more snow between his hands. He'd started a war. The brunette ducked as a snowball launched past his head and threw one back over at Mingyu -- it hit the younger man right in the stomach. That only made Mingyu even angrier. Jeonghan let out a hearty chuckle as Mingyu started running toward him in the snow. The game of cat and mouse went on for longer than expected because Jeonghan was fast and Mingyu was clumsy. Jeonghan was breathing hard after running through the snow, the soft surface caused too much resistance -- it was like he was running on quicksand. Running a hand through his hair, Jeonghan looked back at Mingyu who had collapsed onto his back, his warm breath creating small clouds with every exhale.

Jeonghan walked over to his dongsaeng and got down on his knees before stroking Mingyu's hair away from his face. Mingyu's dark eyes stared at him with a mix of exhaustion and infatuation. His earlier look of anger was gone, their little snowball fight had lightened the boy's mood immensely.

"So, care to tell me why you were in such a bad mood today on the slopes?" Jeonghan stroked Mingyu's cheek. "I thought we'd already made up? Why the sudden one-eighty, Mingyu?"

"What do I have to do to get you to look at me?" Mingyu asked, his face was dead serious.

"What?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"What lengths do I have to go to get closer to you?" Mingyu reached out and grabbed Jeonghan's face. "I know you have your reasons for being so distant but I promise you I'm not playing games with you, not anymore. I really like you, hyung."

"Whoa there, tiger," Jeonghan placed a palm over Mingyu's mouth. "Has your brain frozen over?"

"I'm serious, hyung," Mingyu pulled Jeonghan's hand away from his mouth. "I know you probably think this is just a fleeting crush that'll boil over but I don't think it is. Ever since those two days in Tokyo, I've been thinking about us. I like the idea of us, I like the sound of an us -- you and me. Jeonghan and Mingyu."

"Mingyu," Jeonghan frowned.

"I know I said I was okay with moving at your pace but...but I don't think I can keep this up, I want to move faster," Mingyu bit on his lower lip -- his sharp canines looked like they were about to break through the skin.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Jeonghan touched Mingyu's lip urging him to stop.

"See? I like this Jeonghan, the Jeonghan who visits rabbit cafes, the one who starts spontaneous snowball fights and worries about my well-being. Your cold exterior may fool other people but it isn't fooling me, I've seen the real you and I like what I see."

"We barely know each other, stop acting like you do," Jeonghan pulled himself up.

"But I do, Jeonghan-hyung! You might not have noticed but I'm very observant! You cock your head and rotate your jaw when you're under stress, you're constantly clearing your throat because it's dry and you always hide your face inside your sweater when you need to yawn. Tell me I'm wrong, tell me."

For once Jeonghan didn't have an argument.

"I'll admit it, I was angry this morning because I lost to your brother, okay? I'm childish, I don't like sharing and the fact that you gave him so much affection made me bitter. I know I'm twenty-five, I know I should be acting like an adult but I can't help the way I feel!"

Jeonghan pursed his lips as he closed the distance between them. He hesitated for a split second but allowed his hands to travel up to Mingyu's face. The brunette stroked through the younger man's hair and got on his tiptoes before planting a kiss on Mingyu's winter chapped lips -- the guy really needed lip balm. The younger man looked down at Jeonghan with an expression of shock.

"You like me that much?" Jeonghan asked with a questioning gaze.

"I do," Mingyu nodded.

"You've experienced my shortcomings firsthand, Kim Mingyu, why aren't you running for the hills like everyone else?" Jeonghan was genuinely curious at to why Mingyu liked him -- he sucked.

"Because I'm stupid," Mingyu answered as his arms wrapped around Jeonghan's waist.

"You are," Jeonghan agreed as he pressed his forehead against Mingyu's.

"Does this mean you like me too?" Mingyu sounded so hopeful, Jeonghan felt his heart flutter.

"I guess I do," Jeonghan said, he definitely didn't dislike the younger man and in all honesty a jealous and needy Mingyu wasn't exactly a bad thing. It was kind of...endearing? Cute?

The two stared at each other, they were chest to chest. Mingyu smiled down at the brunette, his canines flashing.

"It wouldn't hurt to spoil you a little more," Jeonghan concluded as he went in for another kiss.

Their intimate moment didn't last for long, Minghao's voice quickly made the two jump apart.

"Mingyu! You let all the warm air out, you fuck knuckle! It's fucking freezing, you shit head! Also, who the fuck built a bunch of snow dildoes out by the window? I almost shat myself when I passed the living room earlier!" The artist shut the wooden door to the cabin and disappeared as quickly as he came.

Mingyu and Jeonghan were left staring at the closed door with shellshocked expressions.

"Did he just lock us out?" Jeonghan asked.

"Well fuck," Mingyu answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret not giving Minghao any roles in my fics, I fucking love writing his dialogue so much!~ 
> 
> Happy reading everybody!~


	8. Christmas Eve

There were plenty of things Jeonghan had looked forward to doing during Christmas. He wanted to have a nice quiet dinner with his tight little circle of friends and family, he wanted to exchange gifts with Dokyeom and give Siwoo the storybook he'd wrapped up in a perfect blue bow. Instead, he was in the meeting room of the creative department with a phone pressed to his ear and his fingers sore from typing email after email. He'd been contacted outside of work hours by the head of the manufacturing plant he'd contracted about a mix up with production and all hell had broken loose. One of their designs had been wrongly assembled and looked absolutely horrendous. The icing on the cake was that three thousand units had already been processed. Jeonghan wanted to scream.

He'd left everyone back at the cabin and travelled all the way back to Seoul to get everything sorted out. Jeonghan could've stayed back at the ski resort but the unstable network from the cabin was an actual tragedy. He gave a rather brief and albeit stupid excuse for leaving but he didn't want to dilly dally and he didn't want to ruin Christmas for anyone else. It was his problem, not their's. He double checked the designs and sent it off to the manufacturer before reclining in his chair. So much for celebrating Christmas. He looked out at the dark and empty floor and rubbed his tired eyes, his job was so stressful.

Jeonghan stood and cracked his back. He grabbed his bag and coat from the corner of the table and turned to leave. There was no chance that he'd be able to make it back to the ski resort now that it was past midnight. He made his lonely way down to ground floor and shivered when the cooler temperature of the lobby filtered through his sweater. Just as he headed for the exit, a rather antsy Kim Mingyu stepped through the revolving door wearing a long black coat. The younger man looked at Jeonghan with furrowed brows.

"Why didn't you tell me there was something wrong with production? I could've helped you," Mingyu frowned.

"What are you doing here? You should be back at the cabin with everyone else, it's Christmas," Jeonghan said as he approached his coworker.

"Why are you shouldering all the responsibility? I'm just as much a part of this project as you are, you shouldn't have to deal with the problem alone," Mingyu's voice held a slight hint of annoyance.

"It's not a big problem, I handled it just fine," Jeonghan replied.

"Why are you so stubborn?! Why didn't you tell me?! We could've had it resolved a lot easier and quicker with two people!"

"Because if your dad found out about this he would've blamed it on you! You've made it clear that you and him don't see eye to eye, I'm just trying to make sure that this little incident doesn't cause you to fall further out of his good graces," Jeonghan said as he sidestepped Mingyu.

"Wait!" Mingyu grabbed Jeonghan's wrist.

"Let go," Jeonghan pulled at the grip on his wrist.

"You did this alone so my dad doesn't pin the blame on me?" Mingyu asked.

"I know it's hard for you to believe but I'm not a selfish bastard like you think I am," Jeonghan broke free and marched forward.

"Don't go, please," Mingyu blocked the entrance with his torso.

"I'm tired, Mingyu," Jeonghan breathed. "I just want to go back home, we can fight later. Just let me leave."

"Then come home with me," Mingyu blurted.

"What?" Jeonghan's eyes widened.

"I want to aplogise to you properly, we can celebrate Christmas together," Mingyu's eyes were pleading. "Please, Jeonghan-hyung."

Jeonghan didn't have the energy to argue.

"Fine," Jeonghan agreed.

Christmas alone with Mingyu was better than Christmas alone in an empty apartment.

* * *

 

Wonwoo folded Siwoo's baby blanket and set it down on the back of the sofa in the living room. He'd allowed Dokyeom and his friend, Minghao, to take Siwoo out for dinner and he was already beginning to miss his son. Wonwoo knew he was acting like an overbearing mother but he couldn't help it, being a single parent had taught him to be very vigilant of his child. He wasn't used to relying on others when it came to his son so when he did, he suddenly felt like a lazy parent. He'd already felt bad for sending Siwoo off to daycare five days a week and now he was letting other people babysit for him. Wonwoo stroked his short black locks and collapsed onto the worn leather sofa.

"I'm a bad father," Wonwoo concluded.

"I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement," Soonyoung's voice said before he joined the seat beside Wonwoo.

"You don't have to lie to me, I know I'm doing a bad job," Wonwoo looked over at the shorter man.

"Wonwoo, do you honestly think you're a bad parent?" Soonyoung furrowed his brow.

"I do," Wonwoo nodded.

"Why?" Soonyoung folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm barely there for him, Soonyoung," Wonwoo said. "I didn't get to see his first steps because I was at work, I had to watch that pivotal moment in his life through a video from my mom. I've missed his three out of four birthdays because of my job, Soonyoung. It's only been four years yet I feel like I haven't done anything for Siwoo as a father except feeding him."

"Why the sudden change in tune?" Soonyoung's concern continued to grow.

"My mind likes to wander and sometimes it likes to wandering into places that harbour negativity," Wonwoo said with a solemn expression.

Soonyoung didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable, I'm probably a far cry from the people you usually concern yourself with," Wonwoo's eyes were downcast.

"You definitely are," Soonyoung nodded.

"I knew it," Wonwoo frowned.

"But it's not a bad thing," Soonyoung scooted over and rested his head on Wonwoo's shoulder. "It's actually really refreshing. Every time we talk I learn something new. You're quite the intriguing individual, Jeon Wonwoo."

"Am I?" Wonwoo was doubtful.

"You are and that voice of yours is something I wouldn't mind listening to for hours on end," Soonyoung admitted.

"You're probably the only person who thinks so," Wonwoo scoffed.

"Your son agrees with me," Soonyoung lifted his head to gazed at the taller man.

"Siwoo?"

"You can call yourself a bad parent all you want but your son will fight you tooth and nail on that statement. That boy loves you more than life itself," Soonyoung smiled. "A day has not gone by at the daycare without Siwoo mentioning how great his dad is. That boy remembers every book you ever read to him and he showed every kid at the daycare the first day he got glasses because he wanted to be like you."

Wonwoo felt a lump form in his throat.

"Yes, he doesn't see you very much but not once has he questioned your love for him. The first thing that a child learns in a loving and healthy household is trust and Siwoo has the utmost amount of trust in you, Wonwoo. He adores you."

"Really?" Wonwoo reached out to clasp Soonyoung's hand.

"Really," Soonyoung replied.

"What about you? How do you feel about me?" Wonwoo asked with a shaky breath.

"I followed you out to a cabin in the middle of nowhere during winter, what do you think?" Soonyoung's eyes crinkled into tiny crescents as he smiled sheepishly at the taller man.

"Are you sure you're okay with someone like me? I'm just going to let you know now, I'm not the best at expressing my feelings so I might say something from time to time that may be a little blunt -- sometimes borderline rude."

"Like what?" Soonyoung cocked his head.

"I want you naked in my bed," Wonwoo said with a straight face. "Spread eagle."

"Oh," was all Soonyoung could utter.

Wonwoo stared longingly at the shorter man and licked his lips, he suddenly started to sweat. The silence from Soonyoung made him nervous.

"We can make that happen," Soonyoung finally replied, his ears burned a deep red.

"Are you sure?" Wonwoo asked.

"Yeah," Soonyoung said with a shy laugh.

"Everybody else is gone, it's just you and me in this cabin," Wonwoo said with a mischievous grin.

Soonyoung swallowed before he was thrown over Wonwoo's shoulder and rushed into the bedroom.

* * *

 

Entering Mingyu's apartment was an odd experience. The man's taste in furniture was...interesting to say the least. There really wasn't much rhyme or reason to his choice of interior design but it was clean, so clean that Jeonghan could see his reflection in the tiles under his feet. The brunette wasn't all too surprised by the large full length mirror by the entryway in the least, Mingyu was a self-proclaimed fashionista. Jeonghan set his bag down on the floor and eyed the unfamiliar surroundings. The temperature of Mingyu's apartment was a little too warm for his liking but it was better than being cold.

"I can take your bag if you want," Mingyu extended his hand.

"Thanks," Jeonghan said before handing over his bag.

"No problem," Mingyu said after a moment of hesitation.

"Good," Jeonghan replied -- it was a very awkward and stiff exchange and they both knew it.

The brunette watched his coworker disappear down a corridor before returning to the living area. He'd taken off his coat revealing a thin white t-shirt that was not appropriate at all for winter -- no wonder he kept his apartment so warm.

"Feel free to sit anywhere you want," Mingyu said as he turned on the television for background noise and he disappeared into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Jeonghan followed right behind the younger man.

"I don't exactly have everything I need for a Christmas dinner but I can cook something for us," Mingyu answered. "I know it won't make up for yelling at you but it's a start."

"I'm not angry at you," Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"You're not?" Mingyu's head snapped around.

"I'm a little high strung after dealing with the manufacturer, you just showed up at the wrong time," Jeonghan said with an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"I kind of deserved it," Mingyu lowered his head. "I wasn't exactly tactful at picking my words either."

"We can both agree that neither of us are very good at controlling our emotions or holding back our words."

"For sure," Mingyu nodded.

"My first real Christmas in two years and I end up spending it with you," Jeonghan chuckled.

"Sorry," Mingyu felt slightly offended.

"I'm not complaining, Mingyu, it's just a little different. I've never been with someone long enough to celebrate Christmas with them, you're the first -- granted we met only recently."

"So I'm the first person to have you all alone for Christmas?" Mingyu prodded.

"Yeah," Jeonghan nodded. "So you better make it memorable, Kim Mingyu. I have high expectations for your cooking."

Mingyu didn't give a response, he quickly scrambled around his kitchen and got all the things he needed. He wanted to do some fancy knife work while he cut up his ingredients but with the brunette watching his every move, he just didn't want to run the risk of cutting off a finger. Losing an appendage while your love interest was watching was just embarrassing and Mingyu wasn't letting it happen.

"So how did someone like you become a culinary enthusiast?" Jeonghan asked.

"I depended on food delivery a lot when I started studying abroad, needless to say I got fat from all the fast food so I learnt how to cook for myself. Turns out I'm pretty good at it."

"Good thing you did, you would've lost all that nice tone you've got in your back," Jeonghan commented as he watched the muscles in Mingyu's back flex and move under the thin material of his t-shirt.

Mingyu must've suddenly felt self-conscious as the man suddenly curled up as if he was trying to hide himself. Jeonghan walked over to his dongsaeng and touched his back forcing the man to extend to his full height. Mingyu looked over at Jeonghan with a nervous glance before swallowing as the brunette's eyes bore into his.

"Don't slouch, it's not good for you," Jeonghan said. "Your height should be something you be confident about, a lot of men would love to be in your position, Kim Mingyu."

"Are you one of them?" Mingyu asked, his mouth felt dry.

"I'm quite happy with my own height," Jeonghan smiled up at the younger man. "But I really do like seeing you standing tall."

"Why?"

"Because you're the perfect height for someone like me," Jeonghan answered.

"How so?" Mingyu pushed.

Jeonghan stepped into the younger man's personal space and wrapped his arms around Mingyu's waist. The brunette could perfectly fit his head in the crook of Mingyu's neck and Mingyu's torso easily enveloped his slim frame. They were like two pieces of a puzzle -- a really weird fucking puzzle but still a puzzle. Mingyu's hands came to caress Jeonghan's hair while the other draped over his lower back.

"You're a lot more affectionate than usual," Mingyu commented. "You're never the one initiating these things."

"Casual Jeonghan isn't as rigid as corporate Jeonghan," the brunette said.

"Will I get to see casual Jeonghan more often? Or does he only come out once a year during Christmas?" Mingyu pulled back to look at Jeonghan with a hopeful expression.

"He's always been here, he's just a little standoffish," Jeonghan smiled up at his dongsaeng.

Jeonghan's eyes widened, something hard was prodding against his crotch. The brunette snorted out a laugh when he saw a red faced Mingyu trying to hide his embarrassment. He ran his hands up the sides of Mingyu's neck and pulled his face down for a kiss. He got close to Mingyu's ear and gave the man's earlobe a teasing nibble.

"We can have food later if you want to have me first," Jeonghan whispered.

There was not a moment of hesitation from Mingyu. The younger man whipped off his shirt and threw it haphazardly over his shoulder, the shirt landed unceremoniously onto a plant in the corner of the living room. Jeonghan took several steps back as Mingyu directed him into the bedroom. Mingyu didn't bother turning on the lights, the small lamp beside his nightstand was more than enough. The small light source bathed them in a golden glow which only highlighted Mingyu's honey complexion -- Jeonghan's hands stroked his hands up the contours of the younger man's chest and dug his fingernails into his warm back. Mingyu's breathing hitched.

"You should wear lighter colours more often," Jeonghan commented as Mingyu helped unbuttoned his trousers. "It suits your skin tone."

"I prefer not to make myself look any darker than I already am," Mingyu replied before pulling Jeonghan's sweater over his head.

"It's a shame you don't see the appeal that your skin has," Jeonghan frowned, his fingertips tracing patterns into the man's abdomen.

"I'd appreciate it a whole lot more if you showed me, hyung," Mingyu licked a line up Jeonghan's neck and bit down on his shoulder.

"Then get your pants out of the way," Jeonghan whispered against Mingyu's lips.

Mingyu pulled off his trousers and allowed himself to be pushed down onto the mattress. Jeonghan straddled his hips and slowly made his way lower until he was face to face with a very erect Mingyu. The brunette blew warm air across the sensitive tip and chuckled devilishly when he heard Mingyu let out a moan. Jeonghan took hold of the base of Mingyu's cock and stroked it once before allowing the solid length to enter his mouth. Mingyu's hands immediately tangled themselves in Jeonghan's hair, the younger man's breathing became laboured -- he was at Jeonghan's mercy.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu muttered as the brunette flicked his tongue over his sensitive tip.

"How does it feel being on the receiving end?" Jeonghan asked as he crawled on all fours back up to touch Mingyu's face.

"You're driving me insane," Mingyu responded -- his large hands tracing the outlines of Jeonghan's rib cage.

"Good," Jeonghan's smile held no remorse, he wriggled his finger urging for Mingyu to lean forward.

The younger man did as he was told and pulled Jeonghan closer until their chests were pressed against each other. Mingyu fumbled over on his nightstand and grabbed the bottle of lube in the top drawer. Jeonghan's eyes closed the minute Mingyu's slicked up fingers entered him from behind. If there was one thing Jeonghan despised it would definitely be the preparation required for sex. He didn't want to wait, he wanted to go straight to the main event.

"You always smell so good," Mingyu commented, his lips kissing every possible bit of skin on the older man's chest. "What kind of cologne are you using? It's almost intoxicating."

"I don't wear anything," Jeonghan said. "I just produce higher levels of pheromones than the average person, you're not the first person to make comments about my scent."

Mingyu's face fell.

"Don't make that face, you're the first person I've allowed to be this intimate with," Jeonghan brushed back Mingyu's hair. "Usually, I'm the one who does the penetrating."

"What?" Mingyu's eyebrows shot up into his forehead.

"Consider yourself special, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan smiled as he positioned himself over Mingyu's length and took him down to the hilt.

"Hyung," Mingyu buried his teeth into Jeonghan's neck.

"Dokyeom's not going to be happy when he finds out about this," Jeonghan sighed.

"Does this mean you want us to be something more...official?" Mingyu clutched as Jeonghan's arms.

"As long as no one at the office knows," Jeonghan nodded. "I have no problem with people knowing I like men but I think it'd be best if we keep a professional relationship when we're on the clock."

"I'm okay with that," Mingyu said.

"Perfect," Jeonghan whispered as he leaned in for a kiss.

The brunette threw his head back as Mingyu found his rhythm. The younger man's mood seemed to have improved as his touches became more frantic, straying away from gentle and slipping into the realm of rough and needy. Jeonghan was no stranger to sex but he'd never felt so aroused just by someone just whispering into his ear. He'd never relinquished control in the bedroom before yet here he was giving Mingyu free reign. There was just something so endearing about the way Mingyu reacted to his relentless teasing that made Jeonghan want to bend to his every whim.

"I really do like you," Jeonghan concluded.

"Hyung," Mingyu shivered.

Jeonghan held onto his dongsaeng's broad shoulders and squeezed his eyes shut as his climax reared its head. Mingyu's hot breath tickled his chest and his solid length was hitting the right spot over and over. Jeonghan gave out first and curled against Mingyu's chest. Mingyu in turn gave a low growl and pushed into his hyung with a final thrust.

"Merry Christmas, Mingyu-yah," Jeonghan smiled, his hands stroking through Mingyu's sweaty hair.

"I have something for you," Mingyu jumped out of bed.

Jeonghan watched with curious eyes as Mingyu disappeared into his closet and came back out with a bag sporting a rather fancy logo. The younger handed the bag to over with a shy look and settled himself in a cross-legged position on the mattress. The brunette pulled out the striped blue tissue paper and unwrapped it.

"Raw silk and hand embroidered, Mingyu, this must've cost a fortune," Jeonghan said the moment he saw the details of the shirt he was holding.

"It's a gift for you but it's more for me," Mingyu admitted. "I really want to see it on you."

Jeonghan climbed out of bed in his naked glory and slipped the shirt on. The smooth silk felt amazing. He looked back over at Mingyu who was on the verge of drooling. Jeonghan smirked.

"Like what you see?" Jeonghan asked.

"I do," Mingyu nodded.

"I haven't prepared anything so my gift to you is granting you one request," Jeonghan crawled back over so he sat in Mingyu's lap.

"Stay with me, stay right here until Christmas is over," Mingyu replied without hesitation. "I'll cook, I'll clean and I'll even do your laundry, just stay."

"Is that really your request?" Jeonghan chuckled.

"Yes," Mingyu responded.

"I can do that," Jeonghan agreed.

"Merry Christmas, Yoon Jeonghan," Mingyu announced as he pulled the brunette close.

"Merry Christmas, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan replied.

* * *

 

Siwoo wandered around the cabin in search for his dad and Soonyoung after returning from sledding with Dokyeom and he was tired. The four year old rubbed his eyes as he slowly waddled along the corridor to his dad's room. He pushed open the door a crack and stuck his head inside the bedroom. The four year old was met with the sight of Soonyoung sitting beside his sleeping father.

"Oh hey, little man," Soonyoung got out from under the covers and went to help Siwoo remove his jacket.

"Why are you in my dad's room?" Siwoo immediately asked.

"We wanted to keep each other warm," Soonyoung replied, he felt bad for lying but he really didn't want to give the real reason.

"But the heating is on," Siwoo pointed out.

"I like your dad's better than the heater," Soonyoung simply answered -- and that was the truth.

"So you're sleeping here with me and my dad?" Siwoo asked as he followed Soonyoung into the room.

"Are you okay with being in the middle?" Soonyoung cocked his head.

"Yes," Siwoo nodded enthusiastically.

"Great but before that I want to give you something," Soonyoung said as he lead Siwoo over to his overnight bag.

Soonyoung pulled out a small navy blue notebook with Siwoo's name printed in gold lettering on the front. He handed the notebook over to Siwoo whose chubby finger immediately ran along his name. The four year old's mouth hung slightly agape as he looked back and forth between the notebook and Soonyoung.

"Merry Christmas, Siwoo," Soonyoung smiled and ruffled the little boy's hair. "You always said you wanted to start writing stories of your own, so now you can. This is your book, you can do whatever you want with it."

"It has my name on it," Siwoo showed Soonyoung the cover.

"Yes it does," Soonyoung nodded.

"Thank you," Siwoo said as he clutched the book.

"Let's get you to bed, bud," Soonyoung replied as he helped Siwoo into his pyjamas.

As promised Siwoo was sandwiched between the two older men while his hands continued to hold the gift from Soonyoung. The four year old didn't want to let it go, he didn't want to lose it. He leaned over to give his dad a peck on the cheek and rubbed his lips when his dad's prickly face tickled him. Siwoo then turned to Soonyoung who was watching them with a tender look on his face.

"Goodnight, Soonyoung-hyung," Siwoo yawned.

"Goodnight, Siwoo," Soonyoung returned.

Siwoo's eyes fluttered closed and he immediately turned on his side so mirror his dad's sleeping pose. Soonyoung wanted to join the two but he just couldn't, he felt so...content. He felt like he was part of something, something bigger, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so warm. He covered his face with both hands and smiled to himself. He was just so happy.

* * *

 

"Draw four," Minghao said as he put down his UNO card onto the pile.

"How many of those do you have?" Dokyeom complained but drew four cards anyway.

"That's only for me to know," Minghao answered before taking a sip of his glass of wine.

"Of all the people I could've celebrated this holiday with, I'm stuck in bumfuck nowhere with you," Dokyeom sighed.

"You should feel honoured," Minghao glared at his friend.

"Jeonghan-hyung has to work even on Christmas Eve, that fucking sucks," Dokyeom threw his cards down on the table.

"It's not too much of a bad thing, Mingyu's with him," Minghao pointed out.

"Great, now he's working on a holiday as well as being tormented by Mingyu."

"Tormented?" Minghao raised a brow.

"Yeah, aren't they mortal enemies?"

"If you're talking about their little spat before Christmas, it wasn't anything serious, just a lovers' quarrel," Minghao explained.

"Lovers? What?" Dokyeom's eyes bugged out of his head.

"You didn't know?" Minghao admonished.

"Didn't know what?" Dokyeom felt his eye twitch.

"That your brother and Mingyu are dating," Minghao swirled the remaining wine in his glass -- alcohol always made his lips loose.

"You're kidding, right? Right?"

"Wish I was," Minghao apologised despite not feeling any sort of remorse.

"That palm tree looking bastard," Dokyeom downed his glass of apple juice -- he didn't drink, alcohol made him take his clothes off.

"You can get angry but it doesn't change the fact that they're probably bumping uglies right now," Minghao drank the remainder of his wine.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better but it's not working, every time you open your mouth you're just digging yourself deeper into a hole," Dokyeom glared at the artist.

"Kind of like how Mingyu's digging into your brother?" Minghao chuckled drunkenly before slapping his knee.

"Oh my fucking god!" Dokyeom got up off the floor and disappeared into his room.

"Merry Christmas!" Minghao shouted from the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!~ So here's another instalment of the story, it's been a little over a week but it's finally here. I'm trying to put chapters up within a week of each other but I've found that I should put quality first so the extra two three days might actually be needed. I'm still really shit at editing so if you see typos and grammatical errors, I promise it'll be fixed up very quickly. Thank you so much for reading!~
> 
> Also, I am still figuring out how to mention a penis in smut scenes. The smut is harder than the actual plot. I don't know how romantic novel authors do it, it's so tedious.


	9. Emotional

Mingyu tapped his foot impatiently as he stood waiting in front of his father's desk. The man had called him into his office right after his meeting with the PR department and he was in no mood to talk -- especially with his father. Mingyu looked down at his wristwatch and cleared his throat before Kim Sanghoon finally looked up from the papers in front of him.

"What is it?" His dad arched a bushy grey brow.

"You called me here, remember?" Mingyu knew his tone was bordering on disrespectful but he couldn't help it, his dad brought out the worst in him.

"Ah," was all his dad said before setting down his pen and papers. "Right, I heard you recently released the promotional material regarding the footwear collection, from what information I received from the PR team it seems like the public are responding rather positively. Our pre-orders for the new collection have been booked up to the very last unit. I'm impressed."

"We didn't exactly half-ass this project, you know," Mingyu felt his lip twitch at his dad's condescending tone. "Believe it or not I've been working my ass off to make this a success. I know you probably don't care but at least try to be a little supportive. You're not a good father so at least be a good boss."

Kim Sanghoon looked like he was at a loss for words. The man had no rebuttal.

"You told mom you'd take care of me," Mingyu said as he turned to leave. "You lied to her in life and in death."

"Mingyu!" The CEO's voice boomed as Mingyu took his leave.

The twenty-five year old pounded his fist against the wall as he went in the direction of Jeonghan's office. He gave the heavy wooden door three knocks and entered the room. The elegant line Jeonghan's back was the first thing Mingyu saw before the brunette turned around to show his face. His lover's hair was stylishly swept to the side while the rest of him was dressed in a light grey suit. Mingyu felt his mood improve the minute he saw that Jeonghan was sporting the floral embroidered shirt he'd given him on Christmas.

"What's got you angry?" Jeonghan asked the second he saw Mingyu's face.

"It's that obvious?" Mingyu asked before walking up to the brunette.

"Your lower lip tends to jut out and your eyebrows furrow so hard they meet in the middle," Jeonghan nodded as he pulled Mingyu over to sit down in his swivel chair.

"You've been observing me?" Mingyu teased.

"Of course, how else would I be able to manipulate you?" Jeonghan looked completely unfazed.

"I wouldn't mind being under your control," Mingyu replied, his hands clamping onto Jeonghan's waist and touching the thin yet toned plains of the man's chest.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Jeonghan lightly smacked Mingyu's hands away before he went over to one of his filing cabinets. "So what's gotten you looking so sour?"

"You know, just the usual, dad's being a dick," Mingyu answered.

"Was it another backhanded compliment?" Jeonghan guessed.

"How'd you know?"

"Your father is well known for his bad choice of words, his praises generally leave employees feeling more offended than happy," Jeonghan explained. "He once told his secretary that he's happy she had a healthy baby but now she could go back to focusing on more important things like answering his phone calls."

"That definitely sounds like my old man," Mingyu acknowledged.

"I have to go back and grab some of my things from your place, is it okay if I come by to pick them up in the evening?" The brunette looked over at his lover.

"Why? You're going to be at my apartment more often now, you can just leave your stuff where it is," Mingyu argued.

"Mingyu, let's not get carried away just yet," Jeonghan reminded the younger man. "I'm just a visitor in your household right now, I didn't agree to being a live-in lover. Things like that require more time. I really like you, I do but I don't want to be reckless. Just give me some time, okay?"

"Yeah," Mingyu pouted. "Okay."

"Thank you," Jeonghan gave Mingyu's lips a peck.

"So did you want to go out for dinner-" Mingyu began asking only to be cut off by Jeonghan's phone ringing.

The brunette held up a finger at his dongsaeng and promptly answered. Jeonghan's face immediately lit up in a smile when he heard the voice on the other end. Mingyu watched his hyung turn his back before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Hey stranger," Jeonghan said with a smile as he addressed the person on the phone.

Mingyu started chewing at the inside of his cheek.

"Me? I'm at the office," Jeonghan continued to pace back and forth. "You're in Seoul?"

Mingyu's curiousity was killing him and jealousy was beginning to rear its head. He knew he shouldn't have been jumping to conclusions but the way Jeonghan was fidgeting with the collar of his shirt and the dumb smile he wore on his face made Mingyu nervous. He'd yet to see Jeonghan smile that way toward him -- did he mention that he was nervous?

"Alright, I'll make some time tonight, I'll see you at seven," Jeonghan finally concluded the call.

"See who at seven?" Mingyu's brows drew together again.

"A very good friend of mine," Jeonghan simply answered.

"Do I know them?" Mingyu followed Jeonghan as the brunette exited his office.

"No, you don't."

"Aren't you going to tell me who they are? Is it a guy?" Mingyu continued his tirade of questions.

"He's someone I know from university," Jeonghan said as he entered the elevator.

"That's all you're giving me?" Mingyu felt a little disheartened.

"Mingyu, he's a friend," Jeonghan gave his lover a firm look. "I'm a lot of things but unfaithful isn't one of them."

"So why won't you tell me more about this supposed friend?" Mingyu wasn't letting it go.

"Because I've already given you enough information, I'm just meeting up with a friend for dinner," Jeonghan left the elevator. "Just dinner."

"What if I don't want you to go?" Mingyu trailed after the shorter man.

"Too bad, I'm going," Jeonghan felt his lip twitch.

"But I'm your-" Jeonghan quickly clamped his hand on Mingyu's mouth before he could utter the last word.

"Not so loud," Jeonghan hissed. "We're just coworkers here at the office, remember?"

The brunette removed his hand and entered their usual meeting room. Mingyu promptly drew the blinds in front of the glass door and concealed them from prying eyes. His large hand closed Jeonghan's laptop just as the man started to get ready to type.

"Mingyu, just come out and tell me what you want," Jeonghan breathed. "I'm not a mind reader, I don't have time for your tantrums. Just spit it out."

"Who was on the phone?" Mingyu's palm remained on Jeonghan's laptop.

"We've gone through this," Jeonghan frowned.

"I need a name."

"His name is Lee Jihoon, we used to be band mates during university. He's now a music producer and he's currently back in Seoul, we're just catching up," Jeonghan gave the long-winded answer Mingyu wanted. "Happy?"

"So you're just friends? Nothing else I should know about?" Mingyu asked.

"No, we haven't been anything but friends," Jeonghan replied. "So get your hand off my laptop, I have work to do."

"How come you've never mentioned him before?"

"Because we're both busy people who have lives to live, Mingyu. Do you contact your circle of friends from university often?" Jeonghan narrowed his eyes at Mingyu, his patience was almost gone.

"Well..." Mingyu didn't have a response.

"Exactly," Jeonghan said as he tucked his laptop under his arm and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mingyu turned to follow the COO.

"I need to be alone for a while," Jeonghan's hand froze on the doorknob. "You're suffocating to be around sometimes, Mingyu."

Mingyu clenched his fist, that hurt.

* * *

 

Soonyoung turned off the music and clapped his hands before turning to look at the dancers who made through his class. There was not a single person who was free from sweat. Soonyoung swiped away his own sheen of sweat with the back of his arm before addressing his students.

"That's it for today, we'll have a final showcase next week," Soonyoung said through heavy breaths. "I'm expecting everyone to show up, make sure you grab all your belongings on your way out."

Soonyoung walked over to the sound system and sat himself down beside the massive speakers. He loved dancing but he also didn't enjoy being sweaty -- it was a win-lose situation. It also didn't help that he tended to sweat more than the average person. He pulled a small towel out from inside his backpack and rubbed his face into the soft material, his face immediately pulled into a smile. The soft pink towel in his hands had been a gift from Siwoo, the little boy had given it to him the first day back from the Christmas break as a thank you for his present. The little boy claimed the towel felt like clouds and he'd been right, Soonyoung was very thankful for the gift.

"Am I interrupting something? Should I leave and give you some privacy with the towel?" The deep voice made Soonyoung jump.

"Wonwoo," Soonyoung said the second he saw the man leaning against the studio's doorframe.

"Ready to go?" Wonwoo asked.

"Y-yeah," Soonyoung nodded.

Soonyoung didn't really remember when it started but Wonwoo had been kind enough to pick him up from his second job at the dance studio every Thursday and Friday. He'd felt guilty having the businessman chauffeur him home but Wonwoo had insisted. It was hard to argue when the taller man's fox-like eyes bore into his very soul -- Soonyoung was no match for that penetrating gaze.

"How was work?" Wonwoo asked as he drove.

"Good," Soonyoung answered. "I just feel gross, I'm dripping in sweat."

"Yes you are," Wonwoo agreed but his eyes held zero disgust looking at a sweaty Soonyoung.

"Why are we heading this way? My place is in the other direction," Soonyoung asked.

"Stay over tonight, it's a Friday," Wonwoo said. "I don't have work tomorrow, we can spend some quality time together, just you and me."

"What about Siwoo?" Soonyoung furrowed his brow.

"He's with his grandmother for the weekend, I dropped him off just before coming to get you."

"Just us..." Soonyoung swallowed, his cheeks flushing a deep red.

"I can finally have you all to myself, brace yourself Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo gave a rather sly grin as they drove into the apartment complex.

Soonyoung didn't reply, he didn't know what he was bracing himself for but he was definitely nervous.

* * *

 

Jeonghan unraveled the Burberry scarf around his neck and handed over his coat at the front of the restaurant before he was directed into the dining room. He walked past the occupied tables and gave a wave when he saw the person he was looking for. A rather petite man wearing all black stood up from a table tucked away in the reserved seating and held out his hand for Jeonghan to shake. The brunette took it and immediately felt the calloused fingertips caress the back if his hand -- they were definitely the hands of a musician. The shorter man finally pulled Jeonghan in for a hug, the man's hand lingered just a little lower than his back but Jeonghan didn't say anything.

"Long time no see," Jeonghan said.

"I only got to see you for a few hours while you were in Japan," Lee Jihoon agreed as they sat down opposite each other at the table.

"Definitely not enough time to catch up," Jeonghan nodded. "How's life been treating you?"

"Just fine," Jihoon answered. "I make music then I eat, sleep and repeat."

"Nothing's changed since university, huh," Jeonghan smiled at the shorter man.

"Nothing except for how often I get to see you," Jihoon said. "I miss our midnight trips to the convenience store, I just miss you in general."

"I don't remember you being so sentimental, Lee Jihoon," Jeonghan teased.

"You always said I needed to be more honest so I'm being honest," Jihoon shrugged.

"I missed you too," Jeonghan finally said. "Never in a million years did I ever think that you and I would lead such interesting lives. Neither of us had a clue about what we were going to do with ourselves after we graduated."

"Agreed, who knew that one day my lazy classmate would be in this high of a position," Jihoon chuckled.

"You're doing pretty well yourself, Lee Jihoon," Jeonghan countered. "How does it feel producing multiple platinum records one after the other?"

"It pays the bills," Jihoon shrugged.

"How humble," Jeonghan smiled.

"Are you seeing anyone? Is it even worth asking? Is it going to be a no?"

"Um," Jeonghan wavered. "I actually do have someone in my life now."

"What?" Jihoon's eyes widened. "Who?"

"I may or may not be involved with my company CEO's son," Jeonghan said as he looked down at his menu.

"You're kidding," Jihoon snatched away the menu. "When did this happen?"

"Remember that night we saw each other in Tokyo?"

"The 'RQ&S' launch party?" Jihoon raised a brow.

"After we got back to the hotel, I ended up in bed with the boss's son," Jeonghan said. "I know it's very unlike me but it happened."

"He's just a fling right?" Jihoon pushed, the man looked slightly annoyed.

"I..." Jeonghan thought about it. "I don't think it is. If it was just a fling I would've moved on by now, I'm still very much interested in him -- even if he drives me insane."

"I thought you said you didn't do relationships," Jihoon frowned.

"I thought so as well but...I don't know, things have been changing for me," Jeonghan admitted. "I thought I knew myself but apparently not."

"Are you sure this guy's worth your time? What if he's not serious about you?"

"Jihoon, you're acting like an overzealous father whose daughter came home with a boy," Jeonghan laughed.

"I just don't think someone like him deserves you," Jihoon said. "A lot of people don't deserve you."

"Where'd this suddenly come from?" Jeonghan asked as he waved over the waiter. "You don't even know the guy."

"That doesn't really matter, I've been friends with you long enough to know what you need in your life," Jihoon said before telling the waiter his order. "Bavette steak, medium rare."

"Côte de Boeuf for me, medium rare also and a bottle of red wine, surprise me," Jeonghan said and handed over the menu.

Jihoon gazed at the brunette's shirt, the Yoon Jeonghan he remembered never wore anything other than a neatly pressed shirt with his suits. The floral embroidered number he was sporting threw him off.

"So what kind of person do I need Jihoon? In your opinion," Jeonghan cocked a groomed brow.

"Definitely not whoever bought you that shirt," the shorter man said before taking the bottle of wine from the waiter.

"How did you know that and what's wrong with the shirt?"

"It's just not something you'd wear," Jihoon replied. "You've never been the type to wear things people pick out for you let alone something so flashy."

"I guess you could say I've loosened my reigns a little," Jeonghan touched the silky smooth material of his shirt.

"Jeonghan," Jihoon's tone became serious.

"What?" The brunette looked over at his friend with a questioning gaze.

"Are you really serious about this guy you're seeing?" Jihoon took a long sip of his wine.

"We're not exactly professing our undying love but I'm very much interested in staying with him right now," Jeonghan answered.

"I think you should reconsider," Jihoon's hand reached over to table to touch Jeonghan's.

"Aren't you awfully touchy today?" Jeonghan teased despite the sudden nervousness in the pit of his stomach.

"I miss having you around, you were one of the only people who bothered to pull me out from my house and get me to do stuff," Jihoon said. "I'm going to be moving back here permanently, I'd like us to see each other more often."

"Just as friends?" Jeonghan mustered the courage to ask.

"No," Jihoon shook his head, eyes unwavering. "Not at all."

"Jihoon," Jeonghan's mouth suddenly felt dry.

"We have time, let's talk," Jihoon simply said.

Jeonghan felt sweat begin to pool at the back of his neck. Mingyu might've been right after all. Fucking fantastic.

* * *

 

"Wonwoo!" Soonyoung groaned.

"Faster Soonyoung!" Wonwoo shouted.

"Oh fuck!" Soonyoung wiped the sweat off his temples.

"You died," Wonwoo chuckled as Soonyoung's character in the video game fell over in defeat.

"I told you I was incompetent with technology," Soonyoung pouted as he put down the controller.

"It's alright, it was your first time so don't beat yourself up about it," Wonwoo touched Soonyoung's hair.

"I'm on level one," Soonyoung frowned.

"Think of it like this, you're on level one because you are number one," Wonwoo tried to console his lover.

"That's worse than a participation award," Soonyoung laid down on the rug.

"Then should we do something else?" Wonwoo tugged at the waistband of Soonyoung's sweatpants -- well, technically his own sweatpants since Soonyoung was borrowing them.

"We just had dinner," Soonyoung complained but the minute he finished his sentence, his bottoms were gone.

"Dessert never hurt anyone," Wonwoo countered before he loomed over Soonyoung and gave him a gentle peck on the temple.

"I'm not food," Soonyoung pouted.

"But you smell so good," Wonwoo nibbled at Soonyoung's reddened earlobe.

"That's cannibalism, Jeon Wonwoo," Soonyoung winced.

"If you consented this would technically be vegan," Wonwoo enlightened the man under him.

"Holy shit, you're right," Soonyoung's mouth fell open, that was lowkey mind blowing.

"Will this count as a little tidbit to add to your list of things you've learnt from me?" Wonwoo asked.

"I'd rather you teach me more about your body," Soonyoung said with a shy smile.

"Very bold words, Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo whispered as he bent down to meet Soonyoung's eager lips.

The taller man flung his glasses onto the sofa and whipped his t-shirt over his head. Wonwoo knew he wasn't exactly the most muscular person in the world but he had decent definition and it didn't really bother him since Soonyoung seemed to like the way he looked. That actually helped with his confidence quite a bit. Wonwoo reached into his pocket and popped open the lid of his bottle of lube and wet his fingers. Soonyoung looked at the bottle in confusion.

"Do you just carry that around twenty-four seven?" Soonyoung nodded at the bottle of lube.

"It's been in my pocket since dinner," Wonwoo admitted. "I wanted to be prepared."

"Why were you so sure that something was going to happen?" Soonyoung traced the planes of Wonwoo's toned abdomen.

"Because it's you," Wonwoo simply said.

Soonyoung didn't have a response. The shorter man wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and pressed their foreheads together. Wonwoo might've claimed to be incapable of romantic gestures but the man knew how to use the power of spoken word. The man's words were his greatest weapon.

"You're wonderful," Soonyoung concluded.

"Am I?" Wonwoo mumbled into Soonyoung's ear as his fingers found the man's entrance.

"Yes," Soonyoung's voice was shaky.

"Tell me, what is it that you find so wonderful," Wonwoo urged while his fingers stretched and penetrated.

"You're so very patient with me," Soonyoung began. "You don't push, you know your boundaries and you're so very thoughtful. Whether it's just a ride home or having dinner here, you always remember to include me."

Wonwoo removed his fingers and started positioning himself.

"You treat me with utmost respect," Soonyoung touched the taller man's jaw with his fingertips.

"It's natural to treat someone with respect," Wonwoo kissed his lover's fingers.

"I make bad decisions, Wonwoo," Soonyoung smiled sadly. "You're the only decision I don't regret."

"I doubt that, Soonyoung," Wonwoo shook his head. "I just might be your worst decision. I'm a bland corporate sheep with unbelievable amounts of baggage, if anything it's my fault for latching onto you and not letting go."

"You can try and scare me away but I don't think it's going to work," Soonyoung assured. "I've fallen too far, I have no intention of leaving you or Siwoo."

"You like us that much?" Wonwoo asked watching Soonyoung with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Almost too much," Soonyoung smiled.

"The feeling is mutual, Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo confirmed as he slid into Soonyoung with one long thrust.

Soonyoung threw his head back and his hands fisted the fuzzy carpet beneath him. This was the second time they'd been intimate with the first being on Christmas Eve in the cabin. It was only the second intimate act they'd initiated in yet somehow Soonyoung already found himself completely adjusted to Wonwoo. The strong hands that supported his hips and the deep voice that whispered loving words in his ear made him feel safe -- Wonwoo made him feel secure and protected. Being with Wonwoo gave him the same rush of adrenaline that dancing did if not stronger. Soonyoung bit his lip, he was sure that nothing could compare to feeling of being on the dance floor but now he wasn't so sure. Wonwoo was slowly but surely solidifying his position in Soonyoung's life.

"Wonderful," Soonyoung repeated his earlier statement as he allowed himself to be spilt by his lover.

* * *

 

"You're creepy," Minghao said as he and Mingyu stood outside the French restaurant Jeonghan and his rather short companion had entered.

"Stop judging me and be a good friend," Mingyu scowled at the artist.

"I am a good friend, I'm trying to stop you from getting a restraining order from Jeonghan," Minghao smacked Mingyu in the arm. "We're outside on a street corner while peeping at your boyfriend, we're invading his privacy."

"Can you be any louder? We wouldn't have looked so suspicious if you weren't wearing that outfit!" Mingyu hissed.

The fashionista had taken the memo of 'incognito' as a suggestion rather than an instruction and instead had rocked up to meet Mingyu wearing a bright hightlighter yellow tracksuit with an orange bucket hat and holographic sneakers. The artist looked like a glorified traffic cone and Mingyu was not impressed.

"Jeonghan told you not to worry," Minghao tried to relieve the tension. "You trust him, don't you?"

"Of course I trust him," Mingyu shot Minghao a look. "It's just that friend of his that I don't trust."

"You and I go out for food all the time, how is Jeonghan going to dinner with his friend any different?" Minghao demanded.

"Because we go out for barbecue, that midget is taking Jeonghan to a five star French restaurant. I don't know about you but I wouldn't fork out that much money for a meal if it's just a friend," Mingyu argued.

"Even if that guy had ulterior motives, chances are Jeonghan won't accept his advances. You said you trusted him so let's just leave."

"I can't!" Mingyu nervously bit at his fingernails.

Before Minghao could speak any sense into his mess of a friend, his gaze travelled over to the entrance of the French restaurant. Jeonghan came walking out with his companion, their eyes met and immediately the brunette zeroed in on Mingyu who stood frozen -- they'd been caught. Not good.

"Do you know them?" The petite man beside the brunette asked, his eyes holding a slight hint of hostility.

"Yeah," Jeonghan nodded, his jaw was stiff -- he didn't look happy. "Thanks for making time to see me, I'll be in touch. I just need some space right now, my mind really isn't in the right place."

The brunette gave Mingyu a disappointed look as he walked away. He didn't want to deal with any more unnecessary drama. Jihoon's confession and now the addition of Mingyu's snooping -- it was a lot to handle.

"Jeonghan-hyung!" Mingyu started to follow the COO only to have someone block his path.

Mingyu lowered his gaze down at the petite man who stood in his way. The man's hooded eyes held an even more hostile look than before and his mouth was pulled into an unimpressed looking frown. Mingyu puffed out his chest and extended to his full height, it was a petty move but in that moment he didn't give a shit.

"Nice to see you're sober this time around," the petite man said as he looked up at Mingyu.

"I thought you looked familiar," Mingyu scowled, he was the same person who was up in Jeonghan's space during the Tokyo launch party.

"You're a real eyesore, if it weren't for you and your reckless drinking that night at the launch party, Jeonghan and I would already be together," Jihoon's lip curled over his teeth.

"As if he'd be interested in someone like you," Mingyu taunted. "You're lacking a few inches in the height department, who knows where else you might be lacking in length."

"If you're trying to hurt my feelings you're going to have to try harder than that, those juvenile insults are almost laughable," Jihoon scoffed. "Enjoy your precious time with Jeonghan while you can, chances are he'll lose interest in you sooner or later -- just like everyone else he's ever dated."

Mingyu clenched his teeth as the petite man walked away down the crowded street. He quickly said goodbye to Minghao and rushed in the direction Jeonghan had taken. He jogged down three blocks until he caught sight of Jeonghan's long grey winter coat and his Burberry scarf. Mingyu grabbed the man's wrist only to have his hand slapped away by the brunette.

"Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu said.

"I don't want to see you right now," Jeonghan didn't turn around.

"Look, I'm sorry for following you okay?" Mingyu tried again.

"Am I supposed to just forgive you just because you said sorry?" Jeonghan stopped dead in his tracks and pivoted on his heel. "I told you that you didn't need to worry."

"I know and I should've listened to you but I was just...I have insecurities," Mingyu said.

"Everybody does!" Jeonghan shouted. "You're not the only one! I've made it clear that I want to be with you, what else do you need?!"

"I was worried, Jeonghan and guess what?! I was right! That Jihoon guy just outright told me that you two would've already been something if I hadn't been there that night in Tokyo!"

"Why are you getting angry?! It's not my fault that Jihoon feels the way he does!" Jeonghan stood his ground. "Yes, he does have feelings for me and yes, he made that very clear during dinner just now but I was a good boyfriend and refused his advances. Why? Because I have you."

Mingyu didn't have anything to counter with.

"I really do want to be with you but you need to give me space. How am I supposed to enjoy your company when you're paranoid about every guy who comes within proximity? You might as well be humping my leg and peeing a circle around me to mark your territory! I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're suffocating me!"

"Okay," Mingyu took a step back. "I'll give you space, I'll give you all the space you want. In fact, I won't even look or breathe in your general direction. Just pretend I don't exist, just like my father does."

Jeonghan pursed his lips as he watched a disheartened Mingyu walk away. He immediately felt regret bubble its way to the surface. He never acted rationally under stress and his already deep rooted emotions toward Mingyu only fanned the flames. Jeonghan knew he couldn't blame everything on his stress but it was the only way he could justify his childish behaviour.

"Sorry," Jeonghan said after it was all too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!~ Another chapter is finally here!~ I know I keep saying it but apologies for the delay. I promise I had my reasons. Uni and work have been killing me slowly. 
> 
> Also, I uploaded a picture of my caratbong with some flowers around the inside of the diamond and suddenly it blew up into a whole movement. I turned off my phone for a few hours to study and when I turned it back on it had blown up. If I die, let this be the one thing I'll be remembered for. #flowerbong


	10. Egoist

Two weeks, it had been two weeks since Jeonghan had fought with Mingyu and in those two weeks the two had only spoken to each other once and it had been about the launch of the footwear collection. Jeonghan had made it a goal to stay professional during work and for the most part no one at the office saw anything amiss. Apparently their lack of communication didn't seem out of the ordinary -- considering Jeonghan spent the first week ignoring the younger man every chance he got.

"So how's life treating you?" Wonwoo's deep voice asked as he fell into step with the brunette.

"I want to jump out the window," Jeonghan replied.

"I'll take that as a not good," Wonwoo patted his friend's shoulder.

"I should've just stayed single," Jeonghan shook his head. "I forgot how exhausting it was to be responsible for another human being."

"Weren't you the one who suggested that I should get myself into a relationship? What happened to you Cupid?" Wonwoo chuckled.

"Love is dead," Jeonghan answered.

"Your love life might just be the most turbulent thing I've ever had to witness."

"I'm sorry, unlike you my boyfriend is a glorified seven year old in constant need of attention," Jeonghan was slightly bitter -- he envied the smooth sailing that was Wonwoo and Soonyoung's relationship.

"I don't understand why you're even complaining, you love spoiling Dokyeom, how is Mingyu being needy even a problem?" Wonwoo cocked a brow.

"Because he's not Dokyeom," Jeonghan sighed.

"I get it, your first priority is your family but think about it in the long-run, Mingyu could possibly end up being part of that family," Wonwoo reasoned. "The guy likes you, we both know that. When we shared the cabin in the snow, Mingyu literally followed you around like a lost puppy. He stood outside the door when you went to go pee."

"That's...gross," Jeonghan didn't know that little titbit.

"Anyway," Wonwoo rolled his eyes. "I just think that you should give him another chance, the kid's whipped and he doesn't know what to do. Just try talking to him and teach him to be a little more obedient."

"He's not a dog!" Jeonghan slapped Wonwoo on the shoulder.

"See? You care about him enough to get angry," Wonwoo clicked his fingers at the brunette.

"I'll see you at the launch party for the footwear collection," Jeonghan turned and headed out of the PR department.

The brunette shook off the despondent look on his face and rearranged his expression. He needed to talk to the organising team for the launch event, he wasn't going to have a repeat of the mess in Japan. Jeonghan entered the boardroom and to his dismay made immediate eye contact with Mingyu. The CEO's son didn't have a necktie on and the first two buttons on his shirt were undone -- he looked exactly like he did when they first met. Jeonghan felt his left eye twitch. He greeted the people seated around the long table and took off his jacket before draping it over the back of his designated chair. Mingyu's dark eyes zeroed in on the brunette's torso, the man had lost weight.

"Jeonghan-shi," Im Nayoung, the head of the event team called.

"Yes?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"I received confirmation from the venue staff, all interior decoration has been set up and all booths from our affiliate brands have also been prepared," Nayoung informed. "I just need your confirmation regarding our revised guest list."

"Why a revised guest list?" Mingyu's voice interjected. "I thought we'd already confirmed everything."

"We always invite the same people to our launches, some of them don't have the same pull that they used to in terms of promoting our brand. The industry is cruel, one day you're in and the next day you're out. We can't continue giving these influencers free passes to our events if we don't benefit from it in some way," Jeonghan said with a blank expression.

"But some of these people have been to every launch since the brand took off, that's a little disrespectful to just not include them because they can't bring in new customers," Mingyu argued.

"Sometimes you have to burn some bridges to be successful," Jeonghan retorted.

"That little quote seems to apply to both your work and your personal life," Mingyu scoffed.

Jeonghan clenched his jaw.

"You should try and adopt it," Jeonghan countered. "Maybe then your dad won't be so disappointed all the time."

Jeonghan knew it was a low blow but he was equally as hurt by Mingyu's comment. An eye for an eye.

"Send off the invitations for the revised guest list, we're using the same caterers as every other launch and make sure to hire some entertainment," Jeonghan briefly ended the meeting -- if you could even call it that -- and exited the room.

The COO looked down at his wristwatch and came to an immediate decision, he wanted to go home. His last bit of patience had left his body. He was stressed, the footwear collection was due to launch by the end of the week and he was just recently given the task of overseeing the opening of five new store locations in Japan. He didn't have time to think about anything else. He was slowly being crushed under all the pressure.

"Jeonghan-hyung!" Mingyu shouted as the older man unlocked his car.

"Whatever it is just save it for another day, Mingyu," Jeonghan said with zero emotion. "I'm not in the mood to argue."

"Why are you still angry? I know what I did was wrong but you can't possibly hold this much of a grudge against me," Mingyu's face was contorted into a cross between sad and hurt. "Let's go out for dinner, my treat."

"Mingyu, not now," Jeonghan touched his temples, his migraine was pulsating. "I have a lot of my plate and I don't need you complicating things."

"Not now? If not now then when?" Mingyu's tone was beginning to morph into anger. "I thought we'd already put this behind us, why are you suddenly reverting back to your old ways?!"

"That was before you decided to make that underhanded comment just now!" Jeonghan shot the younger man a resentful look.

"My underhanded comment? You didn't exactly hold back your words either, Yoon Jeonghan!"

"Fine, we both made underhanded comments! We're just as shitty as each other! Now that's out of the way, I'm leaving," Jeonghan unlocked the door to his car.

"It's been two fucking weeks and not once have you answered my calls, I've tried to apologise! I've tried to work things out with you but you won't even spare me a glance! I get it, I did something that made you lose some trust in me and I'm sorry but you're not making things any easier for us."

"I have more than just our relationship to worry about, Kim Mingyu! I'm in charge of hundreds of people every single day! My phone is flooded with calls every minute of the hour, my messages are full and my emails are at capacity. You're only in charge of this one project, my job requires me to be in seven different places and overseeing everything! Did you not think for a moment that maybe I might have a reason why I'm not responding to your calls?"

"I'm not a psychic, Jeonghan!" Mingyu snapped. "Tell me if you're having problems!"

"Why?! You and I can't even decide on where we want to go for dinner let alone agreeing on something that is work related! You'd just make the process more complicated!"

"Fine, have it your way," Mingyu put up both hands and took two steps back. "I won't bother you anymore, I won't look at you and I won't stick my nose where it isn't welcome. Just think of me as another coworker."

"Fine," Jeonghan agreed.

"We can both get off this train wreck. If you didn't feel any particular way about me you should have said so, you didn't have to play along and waste both my time and yours. A rejection would've hurt less," Mingyu added before he returned inside the building.

Jeonghan didn't say anything, he started his car and headed straight home.

* * *

 

"Now, remember to call me more often, okay?" An elderly woman buttoned up Siwoo's coat before standing up to fix Wonwoo's.

"You really do spoil him rotten whenever I bring him over," Wonwoo accused his mother.

"Of course, he's my only grandchild," Wonwoo's mother said before planting a barrage of kisses on Siwoo's cheeks -- the four year old squealed with delight.

"Thanks for looking after him over the weekend, mom," Wonwoo hugged his elderly mother.

"It was a pleasure," the woman waved. "It's like I'm raising you all over again."

"I'll call you tonight, I promise," Wonwoo took Siwoo's hand and headed for the door.

"Oh wait!" His mother's voice suddenly became frantic.

"Something wrong?" Wonwoo pivoted around.

"I received a phone call the other day on our landline," Wonwoo's mother held out a sheet of paper. "It was from a girl who asked if you still lived here, she said she wanted to talk to you. She didn't say her name but she left a number."

Wonwoo felt his mouth go dry.

"She might not have left a name but I recognized her voice," Wonwoo's mother frowned.

"Thanks for letting me know," Wonwoo's tone was robotic.

He gave a final wave to his mother and went out to his car with Siwoo balanced on his hip. The four year old noticed the dark expression on his father's face but he said nothing, he simply kept his mouth shut and looked out the window. His dad would tell him what was wrong eventually, the man never kept secrets from him.

"Any special requests for dinner tonight, bud?" Wonwoo asked his son, he tried his best to sound normal.

"Anything is fine, dad," Siwoo answered.

Wonwoo looked at Siwoo through the rear view mirror. Siwoo knew something was off, the boy was a picky eater so that answer alone was enough to spark some suspicions.

"Are you okay, bud?" Wonwoo finally asked as he turned onto the highway.

"I'm okay," Siwoo said.

"Are you sure?" Wonwoo was not convinced.

"Who is that lady grandma talked about and why does she make you look sad?" Siwoo blurted.

Wonwoo pressed his lips together.

"It's okay, you don't need to tell me," Siwoo said and continued looking out the window, he knew his dad was upset.

Wonwoo breathed out through his nose and drove. In that moment he was very thankful for having such a perceptive child. He knew he couldn't keep the secret forever but he was relieved that he could buy some time and figure out what to say to the four year old. He entered the gates of their apartment building and parked in his spot inside the residential parking lot. Siwoo held onto his dad's hand on the way up to their floor and headed straight to his room once they were inside the door.

Wonwoo removed his tie and jacket before collapsing back on the sofa. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, he'd had a long day but he knew he couldn't put off calling the number his mother had given him. It wasn't something that he could just forget and never think about again. Wonwoo took the sheet of paper out of his pocket as well as his phone. He dialled the number as slow as he could and hovered his thumb over the call icon for several seconds. With a deep breath he pressed it, his foot tapped nervously as the phone rang. A woman's voice answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" The woman's voice asked.

"It's Jeon Wonwoo."

"Oh," the woman sounded rather shocked. "I...um..."

"My mother said you called the landline," Wonwoo's tone was neutral. "What did you want?"

"I know I'm probably the last person you would want to talk to but please hear me out," the woman said.

"I'm listening," Wonwoo's foot continued to tap.

"I know what I did was wrong and I know you've suffered from the consequences of my actions but I want to apologise. I was young, I only cared about myself and I didn't think about you or our child. If you're wondering what happened to me, I went to study abroad after I disappeared. I got my degree, got a job, got married and now I have my own family."

"So why are you telling me all this? Are you just trying to rub your wonderful life in my face?" Wonwoo furrowed his brow.

"No! God no!" The woman exclaimed. "I realised that I'll forever live with a guilty conscience if I don't make amends. I don't want to intrude and walk back into your life as if nothing happened but I want to properly apologize to you in person...and maybe even say a few words to our son."

"You want to meet Siwoo?" Wonwoo felt himself getting antsy.

"Just so I can explain to him why I left, I know he probably has questions," the woman said. "It's okay if it's just this one time, I won't bother you again after this."

Wonwoo looked over at Siwoo's bedroom door.

"Fine," Wonwoo finally agreed. "Maybe this might actually give us all some closure."

"Thank you, just text me a time and date and I'll be there," the woman replied and promptly hung up.

Wonwoo dropped his phone onto the coffee table with a thunk and rubbed a hand down his face. The door to Siwoo's room cracked open and the four year old waddled out to climb into his dad's lap. The four year old rested his head on Wonwoo's chest and wrapped his arms around the man's midsection.

"You heard everything right?" Wonwoo asked.

"Not everything," Siwoo replied.

"The lady who called," Wonwoo patted Siwoo's head. "She's the one to gave birth to you."

"Oh," Siwoo continued to lay on Wonwoo's chest.

"You've always had questions about her, aren't you curious to know more?" Wonwoo touched his son's cheek.

"I used to, not anymore."

"Used to?" Wonwoo cocked his head.

"I don't think about it a lot now," Siwoo answered.

"Why not?" Wonwoo was genuinely curious.

"I have you and I have Soonyoung-hyung now too," Siwoo put up to fingers. "That's two people, just like everybody else at the daycare."

Wonwoo felt a smile pull at his tired face.

"You like Soonyoung-hyung that much?" Wonwoo raised a brow.

"Yeah," Siwoo hid his face in Wonwoo's shirt.

"That makes both of us," Wonwoo concluded as he held his son.

* * *

 

"Hey hyung," Dokyeom stuck his head into his older brother's room. "Did you want to have dinner together?"

"You can go ahead and eat first, I need to finish up some paperwork," Jeonghan answered.

"Okay but you have to promise me you'll eat something after you finish your work," Dokyeom said. "You can't just forget to eat."

"I promise," Jeonghan gave his younger brother a weak smile.

Dokyeom looked at Jeonghan with worried eyes, his older brother definitely lost weight. The man's cheeks were more hollow than he remembered and his sweater was looking a little too big. Jeonghan had always been the type to lose weight when under stress so naturally Dokyeom was already noticing the subtle changes in his brother's appearance. He was going to have to keep a vigilant eye on his hyung.

Jeonghan waited until Dokyeom was out of earshot before he closed his laptop. The brunette was in no mood to eat after having Mingyu blatantly tell him that he was sick of being with someone so emotionally unavailable. Jeonghan had thought he was actually trying but now he knew he wasn't trying hard enough. He'd fought with himself the entire drive home and in the end had to admit that Mingyu -- to an extent -- was right. He still prioritised Dokyeom and his job first and foremost despite Mingyu's ever rising position in his list. Romance had never been something Jeonghan held in high regard, he was surrounded by older men on their second and third marriages -- his view on love was very much moulded by his peers. The brunette slapped himself mentally, he'd fucked up. A part of him wanted to drive straight to Mingyu and apologise but the larger and more egotistical part of him refused to admit he was wrong.

"I'm a selfish and egotistical piece of shit," Jeonghan concluded.

He took off his glasses and massaged the spot where the frames rested on his nose. Mingyu was yet another failed attempt to add to his list of romantic endeavors. Jeonghan felt his heart ache, he really thought that Mingyu was someone who he could keep in the long run.

"Fuck," Jeonghan breathed as he continued his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I know it's probably a couple of days later than usual but it's finally here. It wasn't the fluffiest of chapters but what can you do?
> 
> Also, for those who've messaged me on Twitter, I go by both Hikari and Lily, both are correct. I use both names interchangeably -- it just depends on which one you prefer to use. 
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter of 'Winning over Mr. Independent!'


	11. Problems

Having dinner was fine, having dinner with the CEO and his son wasn't. Yoon Jeonghan took a sip of wine from his glass to help ease his discomfort and crossed his legs under the table. The launch of their footwear collection had been more than successful, the manufacturers were barely keeping up with demands and the waiting lists were in the thousands. Jeonghan had been on the verge of a mental breakdown leading up to the launch date and it had really taken a toll on his overall health. Yet he still had so many things to do.

"I'm very impressed," Kim Sanghoon had the server pour Jeonghan more wine. "I knew I could trust you, Jeonghan."

"Thank you, sir," Jeonghan said -- his voice sounded tired even to his own ears.

"You're looking a little pale these days, my boy," Sanghoon noted.

"Just some lack of sleep, sir," Jeonghan lied, he couldn't outright tell the CEO that his deteriorating health was due to the responsibilities he was given by the man himself.

The brunette opened up his menu and quickly scanned through all the options. Nothing really caught his eye, he was the type to eat out of necessity and not enjoyment. He picked the first thing on the menu and handed it back to the waiter. A quiet Mingyu looked over at Jeonghan's bony wrist and frowned, his coworker looked so...frail. Yoon Jeonghan wasn't exactly the most built individual but over the last couple of weeks the man had gone from being relatively slim to paper thin. Of course Mingyu couldn't even ask the brunette if he was alright since they barely even crossed paths. Jeonghan was so busy flying back and forth between Japan and Korea that he was lucky to even steal a glimpse of his hyung in the hallways.

Originally, Mingyu had thought Jeonghan was making excuses and using his workload as an excuse to push him away but he'd quickly learnt that that wasn't true. Jeonghan really did have a lot on his plate, too much. Mingyu chewed on the chapped skin on his bottom lip as he watched Jeonghan stare at the plate in front of him. The brunette poked and prodded at his food, he pushed it around and took the occasional nibble but otherwise he didn't seem to have any interest in eating. No wonder he'd gotten so thin.

"I honestly had some reservations when I paired you and my son together for this little project but you two have proven me wrong," Sanghoon said while swirling his whiskey on the rocks. "I've noticed you're doing quite a bit of travelling nowadays between the Tokyo and Seoul office, it must be quite tiring right Jeonghan?"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," Jeonghan admitted.

"Then how about I make things easier for you?" Kim Sanghoon took a long swig of his beverage. "I can relocate you to Tokyo permanently, you'll assume the COO position for our Japanese branch. Pick your accommodation and I'll make it all happen, my gift to you."

"Sir," Jeonghan's face fell.

"Mingyu can take over for you here in Seoul," Sanghoon looked over at his son with a straight face. "I think it's time for him to fend for himself, he's been under your wing for a little too long."

"You can't spring something like this on us without any prior notice," Mingyu was not happy. "Jeonghan can't just uproot his entire life and ship it over to Japan, he's the one who keeps everything in order."

"And that kind of order is what is needed in our Japanese branch, they need a better infrastructure and Jeonghan can provide that infrastructure," Kim Sanghoon didn't look all too concerned by his son's spark of anger.

"Are you doing this to spite me?" Mingyu scowled at his father.

"Whatever do you mean?" His father played dumb.

"Fuck you, old man!" Mingyu flung his napkin onto the table and stormed out from the room.

"Sir," Jeonghan had some questions -- questions with answers he wasn't ready for.

"My son isn't very good at hiding his feelings, Jeonghan. I'm thankful for all the guidance you've given him over the course of this new venture but I think it's best if you refrain from getting any more involved with him. I don't want you to resent me but I don't want to have my only child having a relationship with someone who holds such a high position at this company. He'll hate me, well, he'll hate me even more after this but I think it's the best thing for him. He needs to focus on his job and not romance."

Jeonghan felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"I understand, sir," Jeonghan lowered his gaze.

"You're a smart man, Jeonghan," Sanghoon gripped Jeonghan's shoulder. "I would hate to terminate you over something like this, please understand. Go find yourself someone else, someone who isn't my son. Take up my offer, your accommodation will be paid for by the company and you'll receive a significant increase in your salary, my boy."

"I can't refuse, can I?" Jeonghan asked sadly.

"It's either take the offer or termination, son," Sanghoon said with a firm nod.

"I thought so," Jeonghan ran a hand through his hair.

"This is a huge opportunity, Jeonghan," Sanghoon added. "Think about it."

"Will do, sir," Jeonghan said with a curt nod before he too took his leave.

As he approached the car park, Jeonghan could already make out the outlines of Mingyu's silhouette leaning against the side. Jeonghan already knew he wasn't going to be able to get into his vehicle very easily.

"You're not going to just up and leave, right?" Mingyu looked up from the asphalt.

"I'm not exactly in a pick and choose situation, Mingyu," Jeonghan breathed. "I need to follow the boss's instructions, don't I?"

"You're just going to roll over and show your belly just like that? You're not even going to fight it? What happened to the headstrong Jeonghan? Where'd he go?"

"I don't think me getting a promotion is the real problem, is it?" Jeonghan accused.

"Well obviously," Mingyu kicked ground beneath his feet.

"Your dad knows about us, Mingyu," Jeonghan announced. "He's known for a while."

"Of course he does," Mingyu scoffed looking away. "He has to know everything about my business, why I am even surprised?"

"I know this wasn't what you and I wanted to hear after the things that happened between us but I don't think I can back out from this, Mingyu," Jeonghan reached out to touch Mingyu's hand.

"You're going along with it?" Mingyu yanked his hand away. "You're actually considering it?"

"I either I take your father's offer or I find another company, Mingyu," Jeonghan hung his head. "I don't exactly have a wide range of options. You and I aren't even together anymore, don't make it harder than it already is."

"Why are you so calm?! How can you say these things to my face without even blinking?! Do I mean nothing to you?!"

"You mean a lot to me, which is exactly why you should get it in your head that I am bad for you!" Jeonghan shouted in return. "I'm just going to keep hurting you the longer you try to hold on! You may have issues but I'm the literal definition of an issue!"

"So we're just going to part ways like this?"

"If it makes it easier for you," Jeonghan said.

"You're unbelievably cold, Yoon Jeonghan," Mingyu finally said as he walked back in the direction of the restaurant. "So fucking cold."

"I know," Jeonghan mumbled to himself. "Learn from this, don't let someone like me ever hurt you again."

* * *

 

"Breathe, Wonwoo, breathe," the man chanted to himself as he walked hand in hand with Siwoo into the cafe he'd agreed to meet up in.

"Dad, that lady's looking at me," Siwoo whispered as they walked past several tables.

"It's okay, bud," Wonwoo ruffled his son's hair as they approached the said woman.

"Hi," the woman's voice greeted once they were seated in the circular booth.

Wonwoo nodded once. The woman who he once called a girlfriend was dressed in a beige pantsuit, her dark brown hair was cut into a sleek bob and an obvious wedding ring adorned her finger. The woman's eyes drifted from Siwoo and Wonwoo with curious eyes, Siwoo looked at the woman with just as much curiosity.

"Siwoo, this is Lee Hyosung," Wonwoo said.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Siwoo," the four year old said to the woman, his chubby fingers gripped the hem of his dad's shirt.

"You're such a polite little thing," Hyosung cooed and reached out to touch the four year old's cheek.

Siwoo flinched but let it happen, he was slightly on edge.

"Thank you for meeting with me," Hyosung turned her attention to Wonwoo.

"What did you want to say to Siwoo? I would like to get this over with as soon as possible," Wonwoo's tone was more than a little hostile, he was extremely nervous seeing the woman interact with his son.

"I understand," Hyosung gave a sad smile. "I know you don't owe me anything."

"Why did you leave me and my dad?" Siwoo suddenly asked.

"Pardon?" Hyosung looked a little taken aback.

"Why did you leave me and my dad?" Siwoo repeated.

"I had things that I wanted to do," Hyosung answered. "Things that being a mom prevented me from doing."

"Okay," Siwoo nodded. "But why did you leave my dad? What's wrong with him?"

"There was nothing wrong with your dad, Siwoo," Hyosung assured. "I was just really dumb."

"Yes you were," Siwoo pouted. "Dad's a good person."

"Are you angry at me?" Hyosung asked the boy.

"Yes," Siwoo pouted. "Dad was really sad for a long time."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Hyosung looked at the boy apologetically.

"You should say sorry to my dad, he's right here," Siwoo crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

"Sorry, Wonwoo," Hyosung turned to look at the boy's father, Wonwoo had a tender expression on his face while he looked at his child. "For everything, I know me saying this won't undo all the things I've put you through but at least it can give us some closure."

"If you had pulled something like this a few months ago I'd have told you to go fuck yourself," Wonwoo's expression went cold the second he turned to look at Hyosung.

"Me too," Siwoo chimed in.

"But right now I'm happy, for once I'm actually content with my life so I forgive you," Wonwoo said. "I'm nowhere near ready to have you prance back into Siwoo's life so don't get comfortable and think you'll get any kind of visitation rights. I'll only allow you as much interaction as Siwoo allows you to have."

"And I'm completely fine with that," Hyosung nodded.

"Good, we're on the same page," Wonwoo let out the breath he'd been holding.

Before Hyosung could say anything else, her eyes travelled over to the coffee counter on the opposite side of the cafe. Wonwoo followed her gaze, all the blood drained from his face. A shocked looking Kwon Soonyoung stood by the counter holding a coffee in his hand. Oh fuck.

"Soonyoung," Wonwoo said, he was definitely going to misunderstand the situation.

Soonyoung's eyes darted between Wonwoo and Hyosung before he bolted for the door.

"Soonyoung!" Wonwoo shouted, all the customers in the cafe's heads jerked around from the sudden noise.

Soonyoung was already gone.

"That's not good, dad," Siwoo pulled at his dad's shirt.

"I know, Siwoo," his son really knew how to make him feel worse about a situation.

* * *

 

"I think you should slow down with the shots," Minghao snatched the shot glass away from Mingyu.

"I think not," Mingyu snatched it right back and swallowed the contents.

"I get it, you're depressed about Jeonghan but giving yourself alcohol poisoning isn't the solution here, Mingyu," Minghao shook his head as he watched Mingyu rub a hand over his face.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Mingyu demanded of the artist. "I jumped through hoops for him, I practically worshipped the ground he walks on!"

"But did you ever take the time to actually know him?" Minghao cocked a brow as he looked at Mingyu through yellow tinted glasses.

"What do you mean?" Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"You say you were head over heels for Jeonghan but did you ever ask him anything about himself?" Minghao sipped his wine and swirled the dark liquid. "What's Jeonghan's favourite colour?"

"I don't know," Mingyu replied.

"What's his hobby?" Minghao continued.

"I don't know," Mingyu repeated.

"What kind of music does he like?"

"I don't know," Mingyu lowered his head.

"You may see Jeonghan as being in the wrong but from an outsider's perspective, I think both of you are to blame," Minghao said with no sympathy in his voice. "You're exactly how you've always been. You get infatuated by someone and you immediately dive head first. You expect the person to centre their life around you and only you. Why do you think none of your relationships have worked out? You cling onto them, force them to only look in your direction and isolate them from everyone else in their lives."

"Are you really even my friend?" Mingyu's annoyance was beginning to bubble.

"Let me finish," Minghao shot the CEO's son a warning look. "I've been friends with Jeonghan's younger brother for a very long time, Mingyu. I know their story, where they come from. Jeonghan's been the sole guardian for Dokyeom ever since he was eighteen. The guy's worked his ass off to be where he is, you and I both know how hard he's worked to get this collaboration to work out."

"Eighteen? What happened to their parents?" Mingyu pressed his lips together, Jeonghan never spoke about his parents.

"Their dad died of lung failure and their mother ran out on them one night and never came back," Minghao took another long sip.

"Jeonghan never mentioned any of this," Mingyu frowned.

"Did you bother asking him about his family?" Minghao cocked a brow.

Mingyu said nothing.

"I didn't think so," Minghao sighed. "They both have abandonment issues, Jeonghan more so because he's had it a lot harder."

"But he let me in, he was with me," Mingyu argued.

"Doesn't that mean he was trying?" Minghao set down his glass. "He threw away caution because he wanted to be with you, sure he wasn't exactly the most romantic partner but he tried."

"But he's leaving for Japan! He obviously doesn't care about me enough to stay and work things out!"

"Because unlike you he doesn't come from money!" Minghao shouted. "He came from the working class, blue collar, low income -- no money! Those who come from poverty forever live with the fear of returning to poverty. Try and think about Jeonghan's situation, Mingyu."

Mingyu didn't feel so drunk anymore.

"He's been supporting himself and his younger brother since he was in high school, he's now in charge of hundreds of employees under your father's company and he's responsible for everything that goes right and wrong at 'RQ&S,' that's a lot. Throw your palm tree looking ass in and he's got himself an entire circus."

Mingyu felt very guilty.

"Look, I'm not trying to paint you as the bad guy in this narrative because I know you're not," Minghao draped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You also have issues, I get it but you and Jeonghan need to be better at communicating. You need to stop having pity parties because of your dad and Jeonghan needs to open up."

"As if he wants to open up after this," Mingyu took yet another shot.

"So you've already given up?" Minghao asked.

"I didn't say I was!" Mingyu was beginning to get irritated.

"Then why are you acting like you have?" Minghao finished his remaining wine.

"Fuck you," Mingyu grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

Minghao sat along at the bar with a look of disappointment on his face. At the end of the day it wasn't his relationship. He could lend an ear and give advice all he could but that didn't mean Mingyu was going to listen. He just hoped the guy didn't do anything stupid...again.

* * *

 

"Pick up, please pick up," Wonwoo mumbled as he called Soonyoung for the seventh time.

The businessman pounded his fist against the steering wheel and threw his phone onto the empty seat behind him. He'd dropped Siwoo off back at his grandmother's and he was currently trying to get in contact with the dancer. He needed to clear things up, he needed to let Soonyoung know it was all a big misunderstanding -- it felt like he was in one of those cheesy daytime dramas. He'd stopped by Soonyoung's apartment but the man wasn't home and he wasn't at any if their regular meeting places either, he didn't know where else to look. He leaned against the headrest and closed his eyes, why'd Soonyoung have to show up in that particular cafe of all places? It was nowhere near the man's dance studio.

"The fucking dance studio!" Wonwoo's eyes shot open and he immediately started the car -- why didn't he think of that earlier?

He drove the fifteen minutes across the city and and parked haphazardly in one of the spots in front of the building. Parallel parking was never his strong point and his anxiety over Soonyoung didn't make things any easier. In the end he gave up and got out, it ge got towed then he got towed -- a hefty fine was the least of his worries. He yanked the door right open and took the stairs two at a time until he reached the studio. Wonwoo let out a sigh of relief when he spotted Soonyoung sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the floor to ceiling mirrored wall. He entered the room, Soonyoung looked up from the floor and immediately made a beeline for the door. Wonwoo blocked the exit with his body.

"Excuse me," Soonyoung tried to walk around him.

"Soonyoung," Wonwoo touched the shorter man's hair, it was soaking wet -- he must've been dancing for a while.

"Don't touch me," Soonyoung's tone was a mix of anger and sadness.

"Can you look at me? Please?" Wonwoo begged.

Soonyoung shook his head, his face down turned.

"Why not?" Wonwoo asked.

"I look ugly when I cry," Soonyoung answered, he sniffled once.

"Look, I know what you saw in the cafe must've been a lot for you to take in but let me explain myself," Wonwoo took Soonyoung's hands in his and lead them over to a corner of the room.

"Explain what?" Soonyoung sniffed. "That you've grown tired of me? I know you probably hate having to dumb down to my level just to have a conversation, you're probably sick of explaining things to me and you're most likely wanting a proper mother figure in Siwoo's life and not my dumbass!"

"Soonyoung! Stop!" Wonwoo grabbed Soonyoung's head.

Soonyoung's cries dulled to a hiccup.

"Listen to me," Wonwoo's gaze was nothing short of penetrating. "Don't you dare doubt for a second that I've grown tired of you and don't you dare say those things about yourself. I've been happier these last few months than I have been in a long time, Kwon Soonyoung. You made me come out of my shell, you made me enjoy my life again."

Soonyoung was no longer crying, he was immersed by Wonwoo's words.

"The woman I was with just now was Siwoo's birth mother," Wonwoo explained. "She wanted to meet up because she wanted to properly apologise to both me and Soonyoung for leaving us."

"What?" Soonyoung's face morphed into shock.

"That's all she wanted to do, nothing else," Wonwoo assured. "When I spoke to her today, it really made things very clear for me."

"What things?" Soonyoung swallowed.

"That the feelings I once had for her were nothing compared to how much I love you," Wonwoo said.

"Love-" Soonyoung had Wonwoo's palm clamped across his mouth.

"I'm not very good at these type of things but I want you to know exactly how I feel about you," Wonwoo's usually confident voice held a shakiness that Soonyoung had never heard before. "I normally don't notice a lot of things about other people but with you I analyse everything. I love the way you pout your lips when you're deep in thought, I love the way you move when you dance, the face you make when something is too spicy. I love all of it."

"Me?" Soonyoung pointed at himself. "You love me?"

"As much as Siwoo does, if not more," Wonwoo smiled, his usual sharp gaze softened.

"I'm so stupid," Soonyoung immediately launched himself at the taller man. "I'm sorry."

"Can I watch you dance a little?" Wonwoo brushed Soonyoung's sweaty locks out of his eyes.

"Only if you join me," Soonyoung smiled, the happy crescents of his eyes on full display.

Wonwoo knew he couldn't say no, he could never say no to Kwon Soonyoung -- the dancer had him wrapped around his finger.

* * *

 

Mingyu felt like he was inside a washing machine, he sat in the back seat of the taxi with his head between his legs trying not to throw up. He'd taken far too many shots and all of them had hit him at once after he left Minghao at the bar. Mingyu thought he'd been smart by taking a taxi back to his apartment but the balding forty year old man behind the wheel drove as if he was being controlled by a twelve year old playing Grand Theft Auto. They'd sped through three red lights and he was pretty sure he saw the man spit a massive glob of phlegm out the car window on two occasions.

"Could you slow it down? We're going over the limit," Mingyu said, his words sounded slurred.

"Don't tell me how to do my job, kid," the driver flicked his cigarette butt out of the window and gave Mingyu a dirty look.

"You're going to get your license revoked for sure," Mingyu shot the driver an equally dirty look.

Despite Mingyu's words, the man continued to drive like an absolute lunatic and made a sharp turn at a corner causing Mingyu's shoulder to ram into the car door.

"Sorry," the driver didn't sound the least apologetic.

"Bastard," Mingyu mumbled rubbing his shoulder.

The twenty-five year old checked his phone and stared blankly at the screen. It was two in the morning, much too late to be calling someone but he wanted to hear the brunette's voice. Maybe Jeonghan was right, maybe he really was suffocating to be around. Despite his better judgement, Mingyu went straight to his contacts and called Jeonghan.

"Hello?" Jeonghan picked up immediately.

"He-" Mingyu only got out the first syllable before his body was sent crashing into the seat in front of him.

"Hello?! Mingyu?! What was that noise?! Hello?!" Jeonghan was still on the line.

Unfortunately for Mingyu, he didn't get to hear any of Jeonghan's words. His phone had cascaded through the broken windshield and landed on the road. He was pinned down by his seat belt and his head was pressed against the passenger side door. Blood dripped from his head and he was out cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait y'all. I'm currently in the middle of university exams so all my time is going into preparation. I haven't even proofread anything but I didn't want to put it off any longer. All typos will be fixed in the next 24 hours, promise!~


	12. Resignation

"No, I want all units to be sent out by tonight," Jeonghan said firmly as he paced back and forth inside his office. "Look, I know demand is high but you specifically said that your production line would be able to keep up with our orders. We have a contract and I expect you to honour it. If I don't get any confirmation by five o'clock today, I'll find another manufacturer, goodbye."

The COO threw his phone onto his desk and touched his stiff jaw, the constant clenching of his teeth was beginning to show its affects. For the time being his transfer to Japan was put on hold and he was thankful for it but the reason behind it was far from a blessing. After getting a call from Mingyu at around two in the morning, all hell had broken loose. At first he'd just assumed the younger man had called him by mistake in his drunken stupor but the sounds that came from the other end had caused his heart to pound like a jackhammer. The sound of scraping metal and glass shattering followed by loud horns and sirens were never a good thing -- especially when they all happened within milliseconds of each other. With no way of knowing where Mingyu was and what had happened, he'd panicked on his own with an equally flustered Dokyeom trying to find out the reason for his older brother's erratic behaviour.

Luckily, Minghao had called the brunette and notified him of Mingyu's whereabouts. The CEO's son had been in a car accident involving a careless taxi driver and an equally careless delivery truck driver who was reversing out of a loading bay. The collision wasn't fatal but it had done Mingyu some hard damage. According to Minghao the CEO's son had sustained a bad head wound from the shattered glass window, a broken hand, a bruised rib and superficial cuts on his body. Despite the injuries being non-life threatening, it didn't help ease Jeonghan's worry. He really wanted to go see Mingyu with his own eyes just to confirm that the man was okay but Minghao had told him not to. Apparently Mingyu didn't want to see him -- that hurt.

"Hey, you free?" Wonwoo's head popped in from the doorway.

"Come in," Jeonghan nodded.

"I heard about Mingyu," Wonwoo said as he handed Jeonghan a stack of papers.

"Yeah," Jeonghan breathed, he didn't know what else to say.

"You planning on going to see him?" Wonwoo asked.

"No," Jeonghan replied. "He doesn't want me to visit."

"Oh," Wonwoo frowned. "That's rough."

"I know," Jeonghan nodded. "So what about you? How'd everything go with your baby momma?"

"Surprisingly smooth, had a little hiccup when Soonyoung showed up unexpectedly but it all worked out," Wonwoo said.

"Why are your problems so easily resolved?" Jeonghan gave Wonwoo a sour look. "What deals have you been making with the devil?"

"I think my luck's finally turned around," Wonwoo shrugged.

"You lucky bastard," Jeonghan was genuinely jealous of his coworker.

The brunette exited his office and made his way over to the CEO's quarters and gave the door three knocks. Kim Sanghoon gave him the green light, he entered. He made eye contact with the older man, the usually impeccable combed locks of grey hair on his boss's head were slightly dishevelled, his facial hair was a scraggly mess and the sunken bags under his eyes were a deep purple -- he looked like shit.

"Sir?" Jeonghan was a little shocked by Kim Sanghoon's appearance to say the least. "Are you okay?"

"Just leave those papers on my desk," Sanghoon waved at Jeonghan, he sounded different as well.

"Sir, you really don't look well," Jeonghan placed the papers down as requested but he didn't leave. "You're turning green."

"Jeonghan, I don't think you're going to Japan any time soon," Sanghoon said.

"I can't leave until Mingyu recovers, correct?" Jeonghan assumed.

"Yes," Sanghoon gave a single nod.

"Then I'll stay until he's back to one hundred percent," Jeonghan turned to leave.

"Wait."

"Yes, sir?" Jeonghan turned back around.

"Be honest with me, Jeonghan," Sanghoon's eyes looked slightly frantic -- the man's usual confidence was nowhere to be seen. "Be brutally honest."

"About what, sir?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"What does Mingyu think of me? You two were...intimate correct? What does he think if me?"

Jeonghan bit the inside of his cheek trying to find a way of saying things nicely. He couldn't find any so he told the truth.

"He respects you as a businessman but as a father he doesn't think you qualify as one," Jeonghan answered. "You're not exactly warm but you probably already know that about yourself. It may be a hard pill to swallow but he doesn't talk about you unless you've done something to upset him."

Sanghoon didn't say anything in response.

"I'll let you be," Jeonghan once again headed for the door.

"What about you, Jeonghan?" Sanghoon added just as the brunette reached the doorknob.

"You're sending me to a foreign country without much consideration for me or my situation, sir," Jeonghan answered with a sad look. "I'm sure that paints a pretty clear picture of what I think if you right now. You really do know how to run a successful company but you lack humanity -- and that's coming from someone who also has problems getting in touch with their human side."

The brunette looked down at his watch and descended down to the lobby of the building. He needed a break, he didn't normally take them but his current condition made it impossible to focus on his job. Jeonghan considered himself a workaholic despite the grueling demands of his position so the fact that he was putting off getting anything done was strange even to himself. As he exited the revolving glass door, Jeonghan made eye contact with Lee Jihoon who had his car keys dangling from his pinky finger while he leaned against a massive black Jeep. The shorter man's hair was now coloured a shocking platinum blond -- his friend never kept one colour for long.

"What are you doing here?" Jeonghan asked with a blank expression.

"I went to visit your apartment, your brother directed me here," Jihoon answered. "I thought you were getting ready to relocate to Japan, why are you working instead of packing?"

"It's been postponed indefinitely," Jeonghan informed.

"Indefinitely?" Jihoon's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Mingyu was supposed to take over for me here at the Seoul office but he got himself into an accident. He's been hospitalised so I can't leave," Jeonghan lowered his gaze.

"Even when he's in the hospital he still manages to cause you trouble," Jihoon scoffed.

"Jihoon, he's not the one to blame here, the poor guy got hit by a car," Jeonghan felt his annoyance starting to build. "You might not like him but he doesn't deserve to be badmouthed."

"I don't give a flying fuck, Jeonghan!" Jihoon snapped. "All this relationship with Mingyu has given you is grief! You're unhappy, you're constantly fighting and now you're being used by that guy's father as he pleases. Just quit your job at this god awful place! Come with me, join my label. I can get you a position there, you won't have to deal with all this bullshit."

"Jihoon," Jeonghan began shaking his head.

"I'm sick of seeing you unhappy, I thought things were getting better for you after you landed this position as the COO but now I'm not so sure. Right now you look just like your past self, thin, frail and lacking any sort of emotion."

Jeonghan looked down at his feet, he couldn't look Jihoon in the eye.

"I don't want this for you," Jihoon stepped forward and touched the brunette's shoulders.

"What am I supposed to do?" Jeonghan asked the shorter man.

"Leave all of this, forget all of this," Jihoon gave Jeonghan a tender look. "Start fresh...with me."

Jeonghan didn't have anything to say, instead he lowered his head and buried it into the crook of Jihoon's neck. He just needed a shoulder to lean on, it didn't matter who.

* * *

 

Soonyoung tucked Siwoo into bed and brushed the four year old's soft locks away from his face. The boy looked so much like his father it was actually terrifying. He turned on the nightlight and closed the bedroom door behind him before he went back to join Wonwoo on the sofa. The two had gotten into the habit of watching late night television together even when there was nothing to enjoy -- they wanted a reason to be close.

"Hyosung called me again today," Wonwoo suddenly said as Soonyoung joined him on the sofa.

"What did she want?" Soonyoung tried his best to sound unbothered.

"She wanted to take Siwoo out for a day, she wanted to have me tag along as well," Wonwoo informed.

"Just the three of you?" Soonyoung felt his stomach do a flop.

"Yeah," Wonwoo looked over at Soonyoung -- the dancer's face was stiff.

Soonyoung didn't look the taller man in the eye.

"I thought she wasn't going to be staying, you said she just wanted to apologize."

"I can decline, I don't owe her anything you know," Wonwoo draped his arm around Soonyoung's shoulders.

"No, it's fine," Soonyoung breathed. "Go, it's not my place to tell you what to do, I'm not your keeper."

"Why are you being so dismissive? I told you that we won't go if you don't feel comfortable with it."

"And I told you it was fine by me what you want to do," Soonyoung countered, his own annoyance coming to the surface. "My opinion doesn't matter, I'm just a secondary character in this narrative, I'm not that important."

"Can you please just tell me why you're getting angry? I don't like playing these guessing games," Wonwoo's voice rose in volume.

"I'm not playing games, Wonwoo," Soonyoung got out of his seat and headed for the door.

He slipped in his shoes and pulled his hoodie over his head.

"Where are you going?" Wonwoo asked.

"Home," Soonyoung answered and left without a single glance back.

Soonyoung was well aware of his childish behaviour but he couldn't keep it pretending like he was okay. When Wonwoo said that there was nothing happening between him and Siwoo's birth mother, he'd believed every word of it but now he wasn't so sure. The woman, Hyosung, had contacted Wonwoo on more than a few occasions asking to either see Siwoo or invite the father and son out together...without Soonyoung. It was only natural that he'd feel a little left out and alienated when Wonwoo would agree to meet up with his ex-lover. He knew he shouldn't have but he felt very threatened, his role in Siwoo's life wasn't exactly clear and that only added to his frustrations.

The dancer stuffed his hands inside his pockets and stuffed in his earbuds turning the volume on dangerously high -- he didn't want to listen to his own voice any longer. He hung his head and sauntered into the subway station alone, just like he did before meeting Wonwoo.

* * *

  
"What a mess," Dokyeom sighed as he shovelled another mouthful of japchae noodles into his mouth.

"What is?" Minghao cocked a brow as he looked at his friend through red tinted glasses.

"Everything," Dokyeom replied as he chewed.

"If you're referring to the situation with your brother and Mingyu then you're right, it is a mess," Minghao took a shot of soju and scrunched up his face -- it tasted like actual garbage, he immediately remembered why he preferred wine.

"I just don't get it, what's so great about that Mingyu guy that's got my brother losing sleep over him?" Dokyeom set down his chopsticks and folded his arms over his chest. "I mean, sure he's got a nice face but so do a lot of people."

"You really don't see it?" Minghao asked his friend.

"See what?"

"You and Mingyu are ridiculously similar, Jeonghan probably sees you in Mingyu."

"We're nothing alike," Dokyeom did not like the comparison one bit.

"You're both quick to get upset, you're both unbearably needy and you both can't live without Jeonghan," Minghao put up a finger with each point. "You're the same person, the only difference is that Mingyu's a little taller and has more money."

"Fine, I can see the similarities, what's your point though?" Dokyeom picked his spoon back up and gobbled a mouthful of soup.

"Your brother's upset over Mingyu and Mingyu's upset over your brother," Minghao swirled the last few drops of soju in his shot glass as he spoke. "You see the problem, don't you?"

"Yes," Dokyeom nodded.

"They're both miserable without the other person, are they not?"

"Yeah?"

"So that means we need to get them back together," Minghao concluded.

"I think the fuck not," Dokyeom gave Minghao a baffled look, he didn't want that for his older brother.

"I think the fuck yes," Minghao countered. "I may be your friend but I'm also Mingyu's and I can vouch for him, he's a good guy. He's kind of slow but he's genuine and he really likes your brother."

"My brother's great, of course he likes my brother," Dokyeom puffed out his chest. "I'm sure he's a stellar guy but I don't want him seeing Jeonghan-hyung, they've fought at least three times already without counting their war of words before they got involved with each other."

"Look, I get it, you're used to being the top priority in Jeonghan's life but you need to get your head out of your ass. He's a grown ass man, he can't just put his life on hold and look after you forever," Minghao yanked Dokyeom's chopsticks away so he didn't have anything to fiddle with. "You have to admit that Jeonghan's been a lot happier since he's been with Mingyu, has he not?"

"Well..." Dokyeom really didn't have much of a rebuttal.

"And he's been going out a lot more than he used to, correct? He's laughed more, became more approachable and he's even started loosening the reigns, right?"

"Yeah," Dokyeom nodded once.

"You want to see him happy right?" Minghao cocked his head.

"I do," Dokyeom sighed.

"So you in?" Minghao pushed.

"Where do we even start? Neither of them are on speaking terms and Mingyu's body is fucked up," Dokyeom nervously chewed on his lower lip.

"We're going to have to play cupid," Minghao concluded.

"I don't want to play cupid," Dokyeom shook his head.

"Too bad, we're doing it," Minghao said as he got out his card to pay.

"I don't remember you being so emotionally invested in anyone's relationship before, Xu Minghao," Dokyeom complained as they got up to leave.

"Your brother's lined my pockets with some much needed cash," Minghao said. "The least I can do is make sure he gets something in return."

"Motivated by money, not exactly a trait you see in an artist," Dokyeom scoffed.

"Stop being a little bitch and follow me," Minghao rolled his eyes at the adjusted his glasses.

* * *

 

Jeonghan sat behind the wheel of his car staring at the hospital building to his left. Mingyu had made it clear that he didn't want the brunette to visit but that didn't stop the said brunette in any way, shape or form. After his little meltdown in front of Jihoon, the COO had gone home and wallowed in his own misery while he ate a whole punnet of strawberries over the kitchen sink -- it was a very depressing sight. After he'd finished his last bit of fruit, Jeonghan had allowed himself to get back into his car and drive all the way to the hospital Mingyu was admitted to.

The brunette climbed out of his vehicle and walked toward the bright fluorescent lights and squinted when the sterile white walls of the hospital's interior engulfed his vision. Jeonghan only managed to take three steps before he was met with a fatigued Kim Sanghoon who was making his way over with a paper cup filled with watered down coffee from one of the vending machines by the wall. The older man looked worse than he did previously in the afternoon. Jeonghan bowed when he made eye contact with his boss.

"Couldn't keep yourself away?" Sanghoon's croaky voice asked -- the man didn't sound all too good either.

"I'm sorry, sir," Jeonghan bowed again. "I just wanted to see if he was okay with my own eyes, I'll leave."

"No," Sanghoon grabbed his shoulder. "Stay."

The brunette swallowed, he followed the older man down the wide hallway and stopped when they reached a room at the very end. Jeonghan looked through the open door and immediately felt his heart ache. His dongsaeng was knocked out cold with a bunch of butterfly bandages holding together cuts on his face and neck while his right hand was bandaged up looking like a glorified club. The younger man's healthy bronzed complexion was mixed with black and blue from the bruising.

"He was awake about an hour ago, his medication was strong so it knocked him out," Sanghoon informed his subordinate.

"He looks terrible," Jeonghan said with a hushed voice.

"This boy does nothing but make me worry," Sanghoon downed his coffee.

"What did you do to make him resent you so much, sir?" Jeonghan suddenly blurted. "What happened between you and him? I want to hear it from you."

"He's my only child," Sanghoon explained. "I got divorced from Mingyu's mother when he turned seven after she found out I had a mistress. You can imagine my shock when I later found out that she had cancer. Mingyu never forgave me after he found out the reason why his mother and I separated. On her deathbed, his mother made me promise to take care of him. I thought I'd done a pretty good job but now I realise that I haven't. It hurt even more knowing it came from Mingyu's lips."

"I'd be mad at you as well if I were Mingyu," Jeonghan said. "You treat him as if he's below you, you might've provided him the funds for a comfortable lifestyle but you haven't been a father to him."

"What else, Jeonghan? Tell me what I've done wrong," Sanghoon said as he fiddled with his paper cup.

"Mingyu's a grown man yet you still talk down to him, you don't bother teaching him anything about running the company but you immediately attack him when he doesn't know what to do. All your words, all your actions tell your son that he's not good enough," Jeonghan turned to meet Sanghoon's gaze. "First and foremost you're his father, not just his boss."

"Honest as always, aren't we?" Sanghoon gave a dry laugh.

"You need to hear it from someone else, after all you've ignored Mingyu every time he's pointed out your shortcomings," Jeonghan replied with a blank face.

"You're quite brave today, Yoon Jeonghan," Sanghoon noted. "I've never seen you speak to me this way before."

"I want to resign," Jeonghan suddenly turned to look at his boss.

"What?" Sanghoon's neck snapped over to eye the brunette.

"I don't think I can do it anymore, sir," Jeonghan admitted. "I'm still a person at the end of the day and this job is just too demanding. Thank you for giving me this position but I don't see myself continuing this role."

"Jeonghan, think about what you're doing," Sanghoon was beginning to panic.

"I'm very aware of what I'm doing," Jeonghan assured. "I have a lot of respect for you but these past few weeks have made me question that respect."

"Jeonghan, son," Sanghoon reached out to touch Jeonghan's shoulders.

The brunette stepped back.

"I'm not your son," Jeonghan turned to look over at Mingyu. "Your son is over there, take care of him. Don't fuck this up a second time. He's smart, he works harder than anyone I know and all he wants in return is a pat on the back and some encouraging words. I'll be out of your hair in the next few weeks."

Jeonghan walked over to the side of Mingyu's hospital bed and looked down at the younger man's face. He brushed Mingyu's hair with his fingertips and pressed a kiss on the only spot on Mingyu's cheek that wasn't injured. Mingyu's head twitched and so did his fingers but he didn't wake up. Jeonghan stood and watched the younger man for several seconds before swallowing down the lump in his throat.

"Goodbye, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan whispered. "I'm sorry."

Jeonghan walked back toward the door and gave Kim Sanghoon a final nod. The COO waited until he was outside the hospital before he allowed himself to openly cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally free from exams y'all!~ 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! After my exams finished I had an anime convention to go to and I had to help a friend prepare her table in the artist hall. I've been playing tour guide to friends who flew in from Melbourne to Sydney for the convention and they've finally returned to their own respective state. I swear I'll be back to weekly uploads now!~ Thank you for waiting!~~~~


	13. Indecisive

"You really don't have to waste your time helping me," Jeonghan said as Jihoon sealed up a cardboard box filled to the brim with belongings from his desk.

"I want to do it," Jihoon simply said. "The sooner I can get you out of this hell hole the better."

"It's not a hell hole," Jeonghan countered as he packed the last box.

"I'll bring the boxes down to the Jeep, come down when you're ready," Jihoon simply said and promptly left Jeonghan alone in his office.

The former COO looked around at his office and sighed. Everything that had made the space his had been removed, the room no longer held any traces of him. Jeonghan touched the plaque in front of his desk and ran his fingers over the engraved letters that spelt out his name -- he no longer held such a title, it was quite sad. Just as he prepared to leave, Kim Sanghoon's figure appeared in the doorway. The older man's face was neutral, a mask that hid his emotions.

"Sir," Jeonghan bowed.

"Things won't be the same without you here, Yoon Jeonghan," Sanghoon said.

"Sorry," Jeonghan apologised.

"No no," Sanghoon shook his head. "Don't apologise."

"But I think I do, sir," Jeonghan insisted. "I promised I'd continue my role until Mingyu recovered but I went back on my word. I'm causing trouble for you till the very end."

"It's understandable, Jeonghan," Sanghoon said. "I've treated you very unfairly as of recent. I wouldn't want to work with me either."

"I wish things could have worked out differently, I really do," Jeonghan really meant what he said. "I really am grateful for all you've done for me."

"I really saw myself in you, Jeonghan," Sanghoon suddenly looked over at the brunette. "When I first gave you this position I had no doubt in my mind that you would do well. You had so much fire in your eyes, you knew how to lead and you knew how to make people bend to your will -- so much like myself. You were cold, calculating, almost untouchable."

Jeonghan didn't say anything.

"Those were all things that I needed in a COO, someone who could keep everyone in line and provide results," Sanghoon walked around Jeonghan's office and touched the mahogany of his desk. "But then I found out you were getting close to Mingyu, you could say I got a little nervous. You were so very similar to me that I was afraid you'd end up hurting him the same way I had hurt his mother. I didn't want Mingyu to be unhappy, I thought I was doing the right thing as a father."

"I see," Jeonghan nodded, that sounded reasonable.

"I only ended up hurting both you and Mingyu with my interference," Sanghoon's face morphed into regret.

"I think it was needed, he and I were already on thin ice as it was," Jeonghan replied. "This way we can go our separate ways and forget this ever happened."

"You care about my son that much?" Sanghoon pivoted around.

"Enough to let him go," Jeonghan nodded. "I want him to find someone who can give him all the love he needs, someone who won't take his feelings for granted."

"Completely adamant about leaving, aren't you?" Sanghoon gave a sad smile.

"Yes, sir," Jeonghan nodded again.

"Anything you want me to tell him?"

"Forget me," Jeonghan said.

Jeonghan gave his boss a final bow and left the office he formerly called his own.

* * *

 

"Wonwoo," Hyosung called as Wonwoo entered the children's playground.

Wonwoo walked over to the woman and set Siwoo down on the ground. The four year old didn't run for the swings and slides like all the other children, he simply clung onto his dad's leg -- even without knowing anything he could tell there was something wrong with his dad. Soonyoung hadn't visited in over a week and Siwoo was beginning to piece together the pieces, they probably had a fight. According to his friend at the daycare, the last time his parents fought they ended up going their separate ways. Siwoo didn't want that to happen to his dad and Soonyoung, he really liked Soonyoung.

"I'm glad you took up my offer," Hyosung said with a smile.

"We can't stay for long, Siwoo has a dental appointment at four o'clock," Wonwoo set down his son.

Instead of running for the swings like any other child, Siwoo clung into his dad's leg and held onto his pinky. He didn't care about the playground.

"Oh, I thought the three of us could go out for dinner together after this," Hyosung's face fell just a bit.

"Dinner? I only agreed to coming to the playground, there was no dinner," Wonwoo couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Oh, come on don't be so fickle, it'll be fun," Hyosung brushed off the refusal. "We can use it as a chance to catch up properly, we were rudely interrupted last time."

"Rudely interrupted?" Wonwoo didn't like the way Hyosung phrased her words.

"Yes, so this time we can have some time to talk," Hyosung's eyes didn't quite match the friendliness of her smile.

"What happened to not wanting to intrude back into my life?" Wonwoo narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you getting so defensive? I just want to talk."

"Siwoo, let's go," Wonwoo took his son's hand.

"Wait, you're jumping to conclusions!" Hyosung stepped around the man.

"I don't think I am," Wonwoo said in a matter of fact tone. "You haven't changed at all, still using people as you please whenever you get yourself into a pickle. I don't know what you want from me but I sure as Hell am not helping you."

"Do you really think that lowly of me?"

"Let me think, you used me to pass several units during university, you dated me to parade me around your friends, got pregnant and then left me alone to raise a child and now you've returned four years later with a shitty apology. I don't know, Hyosung, what do you think?"

"You're talking about me as if I'm the villain in this story, I suffered as well you know! I was a student! I was scared, I didn't know what to do! My parents would have disowned me if they'd known about Siwoo!"

"Same goes for me, you're not a special snowflake! I ended up having to tell my parents and I had to learn how to raise a kid when I myself was one!" Wonwoo snapped. "You get no sympathy from me!"

"I didn't know you could be such an asshole, I might not have changed but you, Jeon Wonwoo, definitely have," Hyosung shook her head.

"What about you, huh? I heard from one of our old mutual friends that you're flying solo these days. You don't have custody of your children and you've left your job. Did you think I was your easy meal ticket?" Wonwoo scoffed. "All that bullshit about being sorry and wanting to see Siwoo wasn't the least bit genuine, was it?"

"Wonwoo, you have to look at it from my perspective," Hyosung tried to gain sympathy, she reached for Wonwoo's hand.

The man jerked his arm away.

"Your perspective? Do you have no shame?" Wonwoo shook his head, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I can't believe I defended you, I should've listened to Soonyoung."

"You can't possibly be serious about raising our son with that man, he can't be a mother," Hyosung was beginning to show her anger.

"I'm not asking him to be one," Wonwoo glared at the woman making her flinch. "You have no say in how I raise my son or who I choose to raise him with, you gave up that right the day you ran out on us."

"I didn't know you could be so selfish," Hyosung gritted her teeth.

"Selfish?" Wonwoo cocked a brow. "No, I'm just a lot wiser now, I'm no longer a pushover who lets themselves be manipulated every time you play the victim card. Your tears have no power over me."

"Just you wait, that Soonyoung guy is going to realize sooner or later that you're not worth his time," Hyosung sounded so very bitter. "You're just going to scare him away, you'll be alone just like me."

"That's not going to happen," Siwoo chimed in defending his dad.

Wonwoo looked down at his son and so did Hyosung.

"Soonyoung is not you," Siwoo's eyebrows were drew together as he gave the woman a look of anger. "And you're not Soonyoung."

"Let's go, bud," Wonwoo scooped up the four year old and began heading back to their car.

"You shouldn't be so mean," Siwoo said to Hyosung as he peered back at Hyosung.

Wonwoo unlocked his car and buckled Siwoo into the backseat. He climbed into the driver's seat and looked at his son through the rear view mirror. Siwoo looked back at him with a pout.

"Something wrong?" Wonwoo asked.

"She was really rude," Siwoo continued to pout. "She said bad stuff about you and Soonyoung-hyung."

"I don't think I'll let her see you anymore, bud," Wonwoo frowned.

"Okay," Siwoo nodded, he didn't look the least bit disappointed.

"You're okay with that?"

"I like Soonyoung-hyung more," Siwoo replied.

"So do I," Wonwoo agreed.

"Let's go get him," Siwoo suggested.

"But he's angry at me right now, bud," Wonwoo's hands gripped at the steering wheel.

"Then let's go say sorry," Siwoo was unfazed.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"Yes," Siwoo nodded vigorously. "If he's still angry I'll say sorry too. I'll be really cute."

"You're going to help me out? Where'd you learn to so sneaky?" Wonwoo shot an amused look at his son.

"Jeonghan-hyung," Siwoo answered.

"Of course it was Jeonghan," Wonwoo chuckled as he put the car into gear. "Let's go get our man."

"He was mine first!" Siwoo complained as he kicked the back of his dad's seat.

 

* * *

 

"I don't need your fucking help!" Mingyu shouted as his dad followed him back into his apartment.

He'd been discharged around the early evening and was currently trying to get his father to go back home. He already felt humiliated having his old man support him on his way inside and he didn't want the man to see him struggle with any other mundane tasks. Mingyu walked over to his sofa and plopped down before letting out a relieved sigh, his muscles immediately relaxed. His hand was the only thing broken but he was bruised all over, everything was so sore.

"If you're settled, I'll get out of your hair," his father said with a straight face.

"You should've done that since the very beginning," Mingyu scoffed. "If only you'd left everything alone."

"What are you implying, Kim Mingyu?" Sanghoon turned to eye his son.

"You know exactly what I'm implying," Mingyu answered. "If you knew there was something was going on between me and Jeonghan, why didn't you just confront me about it? Why didn't you just come right out and ask what kind of relationship we had with each other, huh? Why'd you have to go and alienate him like that? Did you ever once consider my feelings? Wait, never mind you probably didn't even think about that -- just like every other time."

"Mingyu," Sanghoon was beginning to turn red from both anger at his son's disrespect but also from his own embarrassment knowing he'd been wrong.

"I'm sick of following your every request, I'm sick of having to jump through hoops to meet your expectations just to fall short every fucking time! You're so selfish it makes me wonder what mom saw in you!"

Sanghoon felt that right in his gut.

"I wanted to reconcile with Jeonghan but you just had to meddle and decide to ship him off to Japan! He's quit, are you happy?! He'll never talk to me again, any chance of him taking me back is zero!"

"I'll come visit when you've calmed down," Sanghoon turned to leave.

"Don't," Mingyu said firmly.

Sanghoon hid his look of sadness as he saw himself out of his son's apartment. He hadn't felt so guilty since the day he'd said his final farewells to Mingyu's mother. The older man went down to his car and climbed into the back, his driver immediately set off. Sanghoon took out his phone and stared at the simple white background, his finger tapped onto the call screen -- his thumb hovered over Jeonghan's contact. After several minutes he finally hit call.

"Yoon Jeonghan speaking," the former COO answered.

"I know I'm the last person you want to be talking to right now but I need a favour to ask, I'll pay any price," Sanghoon ran a hand through his greying locks.

"I don't think I can do that," Jeonghan sounded nervous.

"Please," Sanghoon begged, something that he'd never done before.

Sanghoon could hear an audible sigh come from the other end.

"Just this one time," Jeonghan said.

"Go and see Mingyu for me, I know you don't want anything to do with me or Mingyu but I think you need to go and see him," Sanghoon sounded almost desperate. "Please, he's not in a good place right now and you might be the only person who can help him."

"Why the sudden change in tune?" Jeonghan was very cautious.

"I had a very much needed wake up call," Sanghoon replied. "I'm not saying this to you as a boss or colleague but as a father who doesn't want their son to hate them for the rest of their life. I know my actions were uncalled for but I'd like to make things right. I know you still care about my son, I can guarantee you he feels the same. Visit him, Jeonghan, please."

"I..." Jeonghan still sounded hesitant.

"Think about it," Sanghoon said. "I'm sorry about everything, I really am."

The CEO hung up and pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't much but he really wanted to make things right with his son, even if he already knew that it was a fruitless endeavour.

* * *

 

"Soonyoung, what's wrong with you? Your timing is all off," Lee Chan, the dance studio owner's son asked as he cut the music and handed his hyung a towel.

"Sorry," Soonyoung hung his head.

"You've been messing up the choreography all week, something bad happen?" Chan asked while chugging down some much needed water.

"I think I might be single again," Soonyoung answered.

"The dad from your daycare job, right?" Chan remembered, the tall one with the sharp gaze.

"Yeah, him," Soonyoung nodded.

"Speak of the devil," Chan's eyes traveled over to the studio's entrance.

Soonyoung's head snapped around, a solemn looking Jeon Wonwoo stood looking in with Siwoo balanced on his hip -- The four year old was holding a small bouquet of flowers in his hands. Soonyoung pulled himself up from the floor and walked over to the father and son. Siwoo spoke first.

"I brought you flowers," Siwoo held out the little arrangement to Soonyoung. "I got you plastic ones because they last longer."

"Thank you," Soonyoung took the gift, it was hard not to when the kid was so stinking cute.

"Can we talk?" Wonwoo asked as he set Siwoo down.

"Sure," Soonyoung nodded.

The dancer watched as Wonwoo left his son in the corner of the dance studio with a small container of dried apricots to snack on before joining him in the corridor. Soonyoung suddenly felt sweat running down his back, he was so very nervous. He was bracing himself for the goodbye.

"Before anything else I want to apologise," Soonyoung started. "If you want to end it with me, I understand-"

"That's not happening, over my dead body, Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo cut him off. "If you want to get rid of me then you're going to to have to do it by force."

"What?" Soonyoung's eyes widened. "You're not breaking up with me?"

"No, not a chance," Wonwoo shook his head.

"But..." Soonyoung was so prepared for a breakup that he now didn't know what to do.

"I'll get on my knees and grovel if you want me to, as long as you can forgive me," Wonwoo circled his arms around Soonyoung's waist and pulled the dancer forward until the tips of their noses touched.

"What about..." Soonyoung couldn't finish his sentence.

"Hyosung?" Wonwoo guessed.

Soonyoung nodded.

"She and I had a rather eye opening exchange of words and I did not like what I heard. As far as I'm concerned, that woman isn't going to be playing any part in my life or Siwoo's. You're all we need."

"Little old me?" Soonyoung's eyes turned into crescents as he smiled.

"Not little or old," Wonwoo bent in until his lips touched Soonyoung's. "Just magnificent and wonderful you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seventeen got their 3rd win! Yassss! They deserved it so much! Here's another chapter for y'all! As always, everything will be fully edited in the next 24 hours so apologies for the typos! 
> 
> Thank you for still reading my stuff! ;A;


	14. An Apology

Lee Jihoon typed his seventh message of the night to his chat with Jeonghan and yet again he was met with no reply. The platinum blond took off his cap and brushed his messy head of hair with frustrated fingers before putting it back on. He didn't know what to do, the brunette was impossible to talk to. No matter how much he wanted to help, the man just didn't want to listen. Jihoon knew he was acting like an overbearing mother but he didn't know how else to get his feelings across.

He'd never been all too good at showing others his feelings and things just seemed to get more complicated whenever Yoon Jeonghan was involved. As bad as it sounded, Jihoon was sure the cold brunette would never fall for anyone else -- he was so sure that Jeonghan was going to fall for him and only him. He'd gotten too cocky, he'd waited too long and now he was paying for it. The fact that the man that has Jeonghan's heart was a fucking palm tree just added insult to injury. Jihoon banged his head against the steering wheel of his Jeep and closed his eyes. That was when a light tap came from the car window, Jihoon looked up. Dokyeom, Jeonghan's younger brother, gave him a wave -- his arms were cradling a large brown paper bag.

"Oh hey," Jihoon said after rolling down the window.

"Why're you waiting outside our apartment building?" Dokyeom asked.

"I was hoping to see your brother," Jihoon replied. "Unfortunately, he's not answering."

"Yeah, he's not answering to a lot of people " Dokyeom sighed. "He's a little distant these days."

"Do you know where he is?" Jihoon prodded.

"No," Dokyeom answered. "I told you, he's been distant."

"Damn," Jihoon's last bit of hope evaporated.

"You want to have some burgers with me?" Dokyeom suddenly asked.

"Burgers?" Jihoon cocked a brow.

"I ordered enough for two, Jeonghan-hyung's not here so it'll just go to waste. We can eat and chill," the younger boy looked hopeful. "Unless you plan on sitting here all night."

"I could eat," Jihoon said before cutting the engine and climbing out.

"We can keep each other company, it'll distract from the fact that we're pathetic and lonely," Dokyeom draped an arm around the shorter man.

"I don't know if you're trying to make me laugh or make me angry," Jihoon chuckled as they entered the building.  


* * *

 

Jeonghan looked down at his phone and quickly pocketed the device. He knew Jihoon wanted to see him, he knew the man wanted to start discussing roles he could potentially fulfil at his record company and he knew Jihoon wanted to talk about becoming something more than just friends. Jeonghan just wasn't ready for any of it. He was going to ignore it for as long as he could.

The brunette continued driving aimlessly through the streets with no plans of returning to his apartment, it wasn't like he had any work to finish or a meeting to prepare for. Jeonghan really had no direction, it felt like he was running around in a circle. He finally stopped the car on the side of the road and stared blankly out at the streetlights. He really missed Mingyu, he missed the younger man's scent, his warmth, the feel of his calloused fingers and that low husky voice. Jeonghan felt like he slowly withering away, he was so lonely. He hadn't felt this lonely since that day his mother had disappeared. Swallowing down his urge to cry, the brunette put his car back into gear and kept driving. It wasn't until he was in front of Mingyu's apartment complex that Jeonghan realised where he'd driven himself to.

Despite the warnings going off in his head, he parked his car and started walking. He entered the building and took the elevator up to Mingyu's floor, his finger hovered over the button on the call box for several seconds. Jeonghan pressed the button with a gulp. Mingyu's voice answered a short moment later.

"Hyung," Mingyu's voice came from the intercom.

"Can I come in?" Jeonghan asked all the while bracing himself for the rejection.

"Yeah," Mingyu said to Jeonghan's surprise.

Jeonghan heard the door unlocked, he patiently waited as it slowly opened revealing a disheveled Mingyu. The younger man still had a cast over his hand, his hair was free of styling products and his stubble was growing out. His bruising was beginning to fade but they were definitely still there. Jeonghan stepped inside his dongsaeng's apartment and looked around, food delivery bags were stacked on the kitchen counter and clothes were strewn around the living room -- this wasn't the Mingyu he knew.

"How've you been?" Jeonghan asked.

"I've been better," Mingyu replied and nodded at the state of his home.

Jeonghan frowned.

"You look a lot paler than I remember," Mingyu commented as he looked up and down the length of Jeonghan's physique.

"I know," Jeonghan nodded, everyone had also said the same thing.

The brunette knew he shouldn't have but he slowly approached the younger man and held out his hands toward his face. His long digits mere inches away from Mingyu's skin.

"Can I?" Jeonghan asked for permission.

"Go ahead," Mingyu said.

Jeonghan touched the side's of Mingyu's neck, he inspected the now yellowed bruises and moved onto his face. The brunette's thumb gently brushed over Mingyu's cheekbone and the cut on his forehead. His fingers then found their way into the younger man's hair, careful not to tug at any stitches that may be there. Mingyu immediately melted into Jeonghan's touch, the tension in his body seemed to slowly seep away with every caress.

"You've been through a lot," Jeonghan said.

"So have you," Mingyu returned.

"What are we doing, Mingyu?" Jeonghan looked his dongsaeng in the eye.

"I wish I knew," Mingyu's voice was in a hushed whisper.

Jeonghan continued to touch the younger man's face until his fingertips came in contact with his overgrown stubble. Mingyu flinched, he was obviously self-conscious of it.

"You've gotten hairy," Jeonghan tried to sound playful.

"Fix it for me, hyung," Mingyu's good hand wound around Jeonghan's lower back.

Jeonghan chewed on his lower lip, he probably should just leave. He should just decline and be on his merry way.

"Please," Mingyu's tone was bordering on begging.

Jeonghan's last bit of reason fucked off.

"Come on," Jeonghan tugged the younger man by the hem of his white t-shirt into the bathroom.

He hadn't been in the apartment for a while but he still very much remembered where everything was. He got out the shaving cream and Mingyu's razor from the cabinet behind the mirror. The minute Jeonghan turned around he was chest to chest with the younger man -- Mingyu didn't back away even an inch.

"Can you bend down a little?" Jeonghan asked.

"Just do it like how you always have," Mingyu said.

Jeonghan swallowed. The way he used to shave Mingyu's face was a little too risky. It usually involved Jeonghan sitting on the bathroom counter while Mingyu stood between his legs. Things always lead to another without fail, Jeonghan didn't want that.

"Mingyu," Jeonghan's tone held a firm warning.

"I'll behave," Mingyu promised.

Jeonghan held the razor and balanced his weight from foot to foot as he weighed his options. In the end he gave a sigh and hopped onto the counter. Mingyu immediately wedged himself between Jeonghan's legs and offered his face. The brunette squeezed an adequate amount of shaving foam onto his fingers and swiped it on Mingyu's face before going in with the razor. The younger man's eyes seemed to stare into the very pit of Jeonghan's soul as he worked. When Jeonghan was finally done he wet the small hand towel by the sink and wiped the remaining residue from Mingyu's cheeks and chin. The younger man looked more like himself with a clean shaven face.

"You're all handsome again," Jeonghan immediately slid off the counter and headed back into the living room -- Mingyu followed right after him.

"Where are you going?" Mingyu's tone becoming panicked.

"Home," Jeonghan simply said.

"Just like that?" Mingyu was dumbfounded. "You're just going to walk in and out of my life like that?"

"I'm glad you're doing okay," Jeonghan turned his back to Mingyu.

"Okay?! I'm the furthest thing from okay, Jeonghan!" Mingyu snapped. "Just look at me! I haven't left my home in weeks! I can't even wash myself! How can you look at me and say that I'm doing okay?!"

"Because it makes it easier for me to leave you," Jeonghan said in a hushed whisper.

"Why do you want to forget me so bad? Am I that shitty of a human being? Am I so horrible that you want nothing to remember me by?" Mingyu voice shook as he spoke.

"That's not it," Jeonghan shook his head, his hands were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. "That's not it at all."

"Then why?!" Mingyu shouted.

"It's me, Mingyu," Jeonghan turned around. "I'm so bad for you! I'm a cold son of a bitch who likes to sabotage their own happiness! I don't know how to love, Mingyu! I don't know how to be sympathetic, I just don't! I'll keep finding reasons to leave you, I'll look for every excuse in the book! Love is too hard, Mingyu!"

"No it isn't!" Mingyu protested. "You just think it is!"

"Enlighten me then! Explain to me how it isn't!"

Mingyu stepped toward the brunette, he grabbed Jeonghan's wrist with his good hand and placed the shorter man's palm against his heart. It was pounding like a jackhammer and it was only beating faster with Jeonghan's hand making contact. Jeonghan tried to pull back but Mingyu's grip was strong.

"You can feel it right?" Mingyu whispered in Jeonghan's ear. "It only does that for you."

"Let go," Jeonghan demanded.

"Yours is beating just as frantically as mine," Mingyu placed his own hand over Jeonghan's heart. "They're the same, Jeonghan."

"I have to go," Jeonghan squirmed.

"You're used to people leaving you, I get it, okay? You have abandonment issues, you hate the idea of someone moving on without you so you always end it before you become too attached," Mingyu's good arm pulled Jeonghan in at the waist despite the brunette's struggles. "I know it's scary to let someone see you at your most vulnerable but you can't pretend you're okay when you're slowly withering away."

Jeonghan felt his lower lip begin to quiver, Mingyu's words pulled at every insecurity.

"I can feel your spine through your coat, Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu leaned his head on Jeonghan's shoulder. "You look like you haven't slept in weeks. Please, just swallow your pride and tell me the truth. Do you still want me?"

Jeonghan stood frozen, the silence stretched on and on until finally the brunette raised his arms. He rested his head in the crook of Mingyu's neck and wound his arms around the younger man's torso. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he wept.

"I want you," Jeonghan's muffled words were barely audible. "I want you."

"Then stay, stay with me," Mingyu comforted the man in his arms. "Let me hold you and protect you from everything wrong in the world. I'll be your rock, your safe haven. I'll be whatever you need me to be, tell me to jump and I'll say how high."

"You don't need to be anything but yourself," Jeonghan looked up at Mingyu through teary eyes. "I don't want you to jump through hoops anymore, you've already done that your entire life. I don't want you to force yourself to meet anyone else's expectations, no more."

"Will you stay?" Mingyu smiled as Jeonghan bent forward and kissed the tip of his nose.

"If you'll have me," Jeonghan nodded.

"Please," Mingyu whispered against Jeonghan's lips before engulfing them with his own.

Jeonghan's kiss was like a drug in itself, it was sweet, addictive and made him forget about any sort of pain he was in. He was in complete and utter euphoria.

* * *

 

"You know what, I'm a strong and independent young man! I have my whole life ahead of me! I've got money and I've got my career!" A drunken Jihoon slurred as he held his fourth can of beer in his hands.

"Yes, you do!" Dokyeom clapped, he was equally if not more intoxicated than Jihoon.

"I don't need to pine after Jeonghan, I'm an eligible bachelor! I'm fine as Hell!" Jihoon stood up from the living room floor.

"Amen! Yes you are!" Dokyeom continued clapping his hands above his head.

"I might be lacking in the height department but what I lack there I make up downstairs!" Jihoon stood on the sofa and chugged the rest of his beer.

"Good for you, man!" Dokyeom held up his beer can and immediately spilt it on himself. "Big dick energy!"

"Hell, I might just make out with the first person I lay my eyes on!" Jihoon said as he stepped down from the sofa, his eyes zeroed in on Dokyeom.

The younger man was dabbing at the white material of his shirt with a napkin, the spilt beer was giving Jihoon a clear view of the man's pectoral muscles and a toned abdomen. Jihoon blinked stupidly for several seconds. He was strangely turned on.

"Give me a second, I need to go change," Dokyeom pulled himself up and staggered for his bedroom, his clumsy hands took down a framed photo on the wall as he walked.

Jihoon knew he was drunk off his face and he knew he shouldn't have but he trailed after Dokyeom and went to stand in the doorway of the taller man's room. The younger man's back was the only thing Jihoon could make out in the dark room. Dokyeom had a really nice back. Without as much as a thought, Jihoon walked up to Dokyeom as he rummaged through his closet and ran his index finger down taller man's back. Dokyeom screamed and turned around.

"It's just me," Jihoon said.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" Dokyeom asked, Jihoon might've been smaller physically but he had a very large presence.

"You've got a nice build," Jihoon touched Dokyeom's arms feeling the lean compact muscle.

"Thanks," Dokyeom swallowed.

"Are you nervous?" Jihoon asked cocking a brow at Dokyeom.

"Why do you ask?" Dokyeom looked over Jihoon's shoulder instead of at his face.

"Your pupils are shaking and your Adam's apple is bobbing," Jihoon stroked the said Adam's apple with his index finger.

"I don't like people being in my personal space," Dokyeom deflected.

"This is the first time you've mentioned that," Jihoon cocked a brow. "Usually you're the one up in my personal space when I come to visit."

"I think you need to head home, you're clearly drunk and it's making you do dumb shit," Dokyeom tried to slither away.

"I do dumb shit whether I'm drunk or sober," Jihoon stood in Dokyeom's way. "Let me make my own bad decisions."

"But-" Dokyeom didn't get a chance to protest.

Jihoon grabbed the taller man by the neck and dragged him down for a kiss. They both reaked of alcohol but Jihoon didn't mind that in the least. Dokyeom's lips were warm, his clumsy hands were frozen in the air not knowing what to do and his eyes were wide open. Jihoon didn't back off, he continued working at the taller man's mouth. Dokyeom finally began to relax and allow himself to enjoy the scalding kisses. Jihoon abruptly ended the kiss and gave Dokyeom a push back onto his bed.

"Jihoon-hyung," Dokyeom said watching the shorter man unbutton his shirt.

"Brace yourself, you're going to experience a dawn hotter than day," Jihoon smirked as his shirt fluttered onto the floor.

"Oh my," Dokyeom mumbled.

Dokyeom was both terrified and excited by Jihoon's words, he wanted to blame his compliance on the alcohol but he knew full well what he was doing. He'd face the consequences in the morning.

* * *

 

"You're moving too much," Jeonghan complained as Mingyu struggled in the bathtub.

"I can't help it, I can't find a comfortable position, everything still hurts," Mingyu whined.

The younger man had demanded the brunette to help him bath since he only had one hand at his disposal and he wasn't allowed to get it wet. Jeonghan had fashioned a makeshift protective cover for Mingyu's hand using a plastic sandwich bag and some tape around his wrist. With Jeonghan taking on the role of caretaker for the night, Mingyu didn't hold back on letting the brunette know what he wanted. Jeonghan was being generous and Mingyu was taking full advantage of it.

"I can't remember the last time someone washed my hair for me," Mingyu said. "It's nice."

"You love the attention, don't you?" Jeonghan guessed.

"I do," Mingyu admitted. "I didn't get a whole lot of it growing up. After mom got sick I got sent to live with my dad."

"Sorry for treating you so poorly, I just assumed you were so standoffish because you were spoilt," Jeonghan rinsed off Mingyu's hair.

"And I'm sorry for thinking you got your job through unethical means," Mingyu reached back to hold Jeonghan's hand. "We both made assumptions, you're not the only one to blame."

"Admittedly, I saw you as a little bit of a threat," Jeonghan chuckled.

"Really?" Mingyu pivoted around in the tub.

"Yes," Jeonghan nodded. "You were tall, handsome and you had that burning look of determination that I'd lost a long time ago."

"I was equally threatened if not more by you, hyung," Mingyu played with the brunette's long digits. "You held that same reserved coldness in your eyes as my dad and you had a confidence about you that I didn't have. Throw in that face and body of yours and I was a goner. I wanted to hate you, I wanted to hate you so bad but I just couldn't. Everything about you was so...infatuating."

"Do you regret making the first move that night in Tokyo?" Jeonghan asked as he cradled Mingyu's face.

"Even if I could redo that night over and over, I'd still wouldn't change a thing," Mingyu answered. "I've never lost sleep over someone until I met you and even when I fall asleep I dream of you. You're the sun, no matter what I do I'll keep being pulled in your direction and I won't even fight it."

"Those are some dangerous words, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan began closing in on Mingyu's lips.

"I'll say even more dangerous words if you don't kiss me," Mingyu whispered.

"You've gotten brave," Jeonghan smiled into the kiss.

Mingyu lifted his good arm from below the water and held onto the back of Jeonghan's head. The brunette moaned feeling the familiar digits massage his scalp before he froze. Jeonghan's eyes opened and he looked down at Mingyu's broken hand. He'd broken his right hand...but Mingyu was left handed. The brunette pulled back and immediately received a confused look from Mingyu.

"What is it?" Mingyu cocked his head.

"You're left handed, you broke your non-dominant hand," Jeonghan said.

"Um," Mingyu's eyes shifted from side to side -- he'd been caught.

"You know what?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

Mingyu gulped.

"I'll let it slide," Jeonghan said. "You're kind of cute when you're needy."

Mingyu's expression morphed from fear to relief. The younger man watched the brunette walk out of the bathroom, he swallowed when Jeonghan started undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"Dry yourself off and join me in the bedroom," Jeonghan said giving his lover a wink. "I'll do all the work."

Mingyu never got out of the bath so fast in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me again!~ New Chapter!~ 
> 
> I hope y'all are doing okay, I'm currently thinking and planning my next Gyuhan work and I'm super excited. It's a genre I've wanted to try out for a while now and I'm really excited to show it to you!~ I need to do a lot more planning but I promise the wait will be worth it! Happy reading!


	15. A Little Honesty

Jeonghan struggled as he lifted his head, it was awfully warm -- too warm. The brunette braced himself up on his elbow and looked around at the black and grey interior of the room before his brain registered where he was. That's right, he'd found his way into Mingyu's apartment last night. Jeonghan looked down at his torso, the love bites from yesterday were beginning to rear their heads in the form of pink and purple marks on his skin -- he'd forgotten that Mingyu was a biter. The brunette tried to slip out from under the covers but Mingyu's arm quickly clamped around his waist.

"Come back," Mingyu's morning voice was more of a low rumble than anything else.

"I just wanted to get a glass of water," Jeonghan smiled at the disheveled state of Mingyu's hair.

"Later," Mingyu pulled Jeonghan back down to lay on his arm. "Just lay with me."

"Scared I might run away when you're not looking?" Jeonghan teased.

"Yes," Mingyu answered. "Yes, I am."

"Your paranoia is valid," Jeonghan said as he traced circles on Mingyu's bare chest. "Keeping up with me must not be easy."

"It definitely isn't," Mingyu turned to look at the brunette. "But I can't help but follow, I just can't seem to stop myself. I'm an 'A-class masochist' if there ever was one."

"You've fallen so deep," Jeonghan's eyes became heavy-lidded. "You have to be more careful with your heart, Kim Mingyu."

"I'll keep falling deeper," Mingyu whispered as he closed in on Jeonghan's lips. "Head first without a parachute."

"How very reckless of you," the brunette said.

Jeonghan closed his eyes, Mingyu's kisses were never the same. What the man couldn't express with words he would convey through his kisses. This kiss wasn't sugar sweet or aggressive and rough, it was one of longing, a kiss that told Jeonghan that he'd been dearly missed. Jeonghan gave into it so very easily.

"Where do we go from here?" Jeonghan asked touching Mingyu's cheek.

"Forward," was all Mingyu could give. "I have no clue where we're headed but I want you there with me."

"There's no rush, right?" Jeonghan pressed his forehead against Mingyu's. "We'll figure things out, I believe in us."

"I like the sound of us," Mingyu smiled, his canines in full view.

"So do I," Jeonghan agreed.

* * *

 

Jihoon woke up feeling like shit, the kind that burns coming out after having really spicy food. The musician rummaged around searching for his phone with eyes still closed and cursed when he heard something fall on the ground. He continued patting the nightstand blindly until he finally wrapped his fingers around a familiar object. Jihoon cracked open an eye and looked at the screen. It was nine in the morning and he had three unread messages from one of his fellow producers and ten emails he needed to answer.

"Fuck," Jihoon groaned and rolled over onto his back, he didn't want to do any of that shit.

Jihoon covered his eyes with his forearm blocking out the sunlight that filled the room. His other arm stretched over to left side of the bed and for a second he thought nothing of it...until he remembered what he'd done -- specifically who he'd done. Jihoon shot up to a sitting position and looked around, his clothes were strewn around on the bedroom floor, his jeans were hanging off the edge of the dresser and his boxer briefs were dangling on the bathroom doorknob. Jihoon quickly retrieved his jeans and slipped them on before searching on the floor for the rest of his belongings.

The platinum blond could hear Dokyeom's voice from the kitchen so that meant his plan of slipping away quietly was a bust. Jihoon stood in the bedroom doorway for several minutes thinking about what he was going to say to the younger man but he came up blank. What could he say after sleeping with the guy? He finally gave up and started walking toward the kitchen. Just as he reached the threshold, the blond halted. He could hear Dokyeom singing and he sounded good, too good. Jihoon stuck his head out and watched a relaxed Dokyeom stirring a spoon of sugar into his coffee all the while singing at the top of his lungs. The guy knew how to project his voice and his breathing technique was impressive, Jihoon was impressed. The younger man only stopped singing when he saw Jihoon out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh-uh...G-good morning," Dokyeom scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

"You can sing," Jihoon said with a very matter-of-fact voice.

"Just a little," Dokyeom turned his back to the shorter man, he tried his best to hide his embarrassment.

"Why haven't I heard you sing before?" Jihoon's brows drew together. "We've known each other for years."

"I mostly just do it in the shower," Dokyeom replied.

"Well you should consider doing outside of the shower," Jihoon walked into the kitchen. "Your voice sounds...clean, polished, almost too good for just the shower."

"Thanks," Dokyeom looked visibly uncomfortable by the praise.

"Why won't you look at me?" Jihoon asked as he stared at Dokyeom's hunched back.

"I was kind of hoping you'd still be asleep by the time I got ready to leave," Dokyeom admitted. "You know, so we didn't have to have this awkward conversation."

"Do you regret it?" Jihoon asked. "Did you dislike it so much that you won't even look at me?"

"If I said yes, would you leave and pretend this never happened?" Dokyeom finally turned around.

"No," Jihoon shook his head. "I'm not a good liar, I can't lie to myself or others."

"Then why don't you tell me how you feel right now," Dokyeom swallowed.

"I feel a lot of regret after what I did last night," Jihoon replied.

"Oh," Dokyeom lowered his head.

"But not for the reasons you think," Jihoon walked over to the younger man. "I regret taking advantage of your drunken state and I regret coming onto you when just twenty-four hours ago I was chasing after your older brother. If anything I'm angry at myself for being such a selfish bastard. If you want to sweep this under the rug I totally understand. I'll leave both you and Jeonghan alone, I won't cause you two any more problems."

"I didn't hate it," Dokyeom set down his mug.

"What?" Jihoon sounded genuinely surprised.

"I didn't hate it, Jihoon-hyung," the younger man said. "I'd do it again."

"Are you still drunk?" Jihoon cocked a brow.

"Maybe but even if I wasn't, I'd want it to happen the same way it did last night."

"Why?" Jihoon asked.

"Because I can't remember the last time I'd laughed so much or felt so...alive! It felt nice having you here with me, it was warm, intimate and it just felt right," Dokyeom said, his hands playing with the hem of his sweater.

"You fall in love far to easily, Dokyeom," Jihoon commented.

"I wouldn't label it love just yet but I think I'd like to see you more often," Dokyeom said. "Last night wasn't a mistake, at least not for me."

"You're quite straightforward," Jihoon pointed out. "I didn't expect you to be the forceful type."

"I've seen your fruitless pursuit of my older brother, I won't make the same mistake," Dokyeom answered.

"Ouch," Jihoon said but a smile lit his features.

"Sorry," Dokyeom said with a chuckle.

"You want to go out for breakfast?" Jihoon asked nodding toward the door.

"You serious?" Dokyeom looked hopeful.

"My treat," Jihoon nodded.

Dokyeom chugged the rest of his coffee and trailed after the shorter man. He was going on a date.

* * *

 

"You sure you don't want to join all your friends for naptime?" Soonyoung asked Siwoo as he sat on the floor beside the four year old.

"I don't like naptime," Siwoo pouted and continued colouring in the picture in front of him.

"Why not, bud?" Soonyoung ruffled the boy's soft black locks.

"Too many people and the blankets smell weird," Siwoo said.

"Ah," Soonyoung nodded, the boy couldn't fall asleep in an unfamiliar environment.

"So you just don't like having naps here at the daycare?" Soonyoung continued brushing his hand through the boy's hair.

"Yeah," Siwoo nodded and started rubbing his eyes knocking his glasses askew before yawning.

"You sure you don't want to nap?" Soonyoung chuckled seeing the four year old's eyelids grow heavy.

Siwoo shook his head but he was visibly sleepy.

"What if I held you, little man?" Soonyoung offered and pulled the boy into his chest allowing the boy's chin to rest on his shoulder.

"You can't put me down when I fall asleep, you have to hold me until I wake up," Siwoo mumbled as he wrapped his chubby arms around Soonyoung's neck. "You have to promise."

"I promise," Soonyoung smiled as he patted Siwoo's back.

There was a brief moment of silence between them. Soonyoung just assumed the boy had quickly dozed off until he felt a soft peck against his cheek.

"What was that for, bud?" Soonyoung asked.

"Because I like you," Siwoo simply answered.

"Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?" Soonyoung chuckled.

"Is it working?" Siwoo pushed against Soonyoung's shoulders to give the man a serious look.

"It definitely is," Soonyoung nodded.

"Does that mean you'll stay with me and my dad for a long time?" Siwoo looked nervous for the first time since he'd started working at the daycare.

"Do you want me to stay?" Soonyoung cocked his head at the boy.

"Yes, please," Siwoo's pudgy hands tangled themselves in Soonyoung's sweater. "I like your hugs, you're warm and you smell nice. I like the way you cut the crust off my sandwiches and the way you tell bedtime stories. I like everything."

"I'm already in love with you, Jeon Siwoo," Soonyoung held the boy close. "You don't have to win me over."

"Dad smiles a lot now, he didn't used to," Siwoo buried his head into Soonyoung's shoulder. "You love him too right? Do you love my dad too?"

Soonyoung smiled softly at the four year old, he nodded once.

"I do," Soonyoung answered.

Siwoo smiled in response before his sleepiness got the better of him. The four year old yawned and rested his head on Soonyoung's shoulder.

"I don't need a mommy, I just need a Soonyoung-hyung," Siwoo concluded before sleep claimed him.

Soonyoung didn't have any words, held onto the four year old all the while replaying the child's words over and over in his head. He'd never felt so needed and so important before, he was so...content and that was a feeling he'd never experienced before this very moment.

* * *

 

"I can't believe the amount of mess that's accumulated," Jeonghan complained as he picked up Mingyu's strewn clothes into a hamper as be walked around the younger man's apartment.

"It's hard having only one working hand," Mingyu defended as he trailed behind the brunette like a lost puppy.

"Again, you didn't break your dominant hand, Mingyu," Jeonghan shot the younger man a stern look. "You decided to sulk and wallow in self pity instead of calling someone to help you."

Mingyu pouted, Jeonghan saw right through him.

"I'm going to throw all of this in the washing machine and I'll be out of your hair for the evening," Jeonghan announced as he went over to the laundry room.

"What?! You're leaving?!" Mingyu started to panic.

"I still have to finish packing, I'm heading to Japan remember?" Jeonghan said as he dumped Mingyu's clothes into the washing machine.

"But we've made up, why're you still going? Aren't we all good now?" Mingyu demanded.

"We are but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm no longer employed at your dad's company," Jeonghan pressed the button to start the cycle before turning to face his dongsaeng. "I need a job, Mingyu."

"No, you don't," Mingyu insisted. "If it's money you're worried about then let me take care of it, I've got plenty."

"That's not the point, Mingyu," Jeonghan reached up and wrapped his arms around Mingyu's neck. "I'm just not the type of person who can sit back and do nothing, I like making the rules, not following them. I enjoy commanding a room, I like having power and I can't do any of that without anyone to boss around."

"You can boss me around," Mingyu was still pouting.

"I prefer to keep that in the bedroom," Jeonghan chuckled before giving the younger man a reassuring smile. "I'm going there for work, okay? I'll be frequently flying back and forth so it won't even feel like I'm gone."

"But..." Mingyu still looked unconvinced.

"From what I remember from my last week at 'RQ&S' your dad had plans of making major expansions in Japan, you'll have plenty of chances to come see me. You're the COO now, remember?" Jeonghan reminded the younger man.

"But it's not the same, I don't want to wait for weeks at a time to see you," Mingyu shook his head.

Jeonghan looked up at his lover with apologetic eyes, the poor guy looked so sad. The brunette let out a sigh and moved his hands up to stroke Mingyu's face before touching the shell of his ears. He was becoming soft, soft to the point where he couldn't even put his foot down.

"I guess I could ask Jihoon if I can be in an off-site executive position," Jeonghan offered. "It might be a tough battle to win but I think I can convince him to say yes."

"You mean it?" Mingyu instantly perked up.

"I'll fight tooth and nail for it," Jeonghan nodded. "Because apparently you can't seem to live without me."

"What about you, hyung?" Mingyu's lips brushed up against Jeonghan's ear. "What am I to you? You can't live without me either right?"

"I'm not a hopeless romantic, I'm a realist," Jeonghan moaned as Mingyu's tongue licked at his earlobe. "But..."

"But?" Mingyu pushed.

"But for you I seem to throw all rhyme and reason out the window," Jeonghan said all the while watching a one handed Mingyu try to unbuttoned the front of his shirt.

"You know, a lot of people find me rather charming," Mingyu's hands halted as he eyed his lover. "I'm actually quite the catch."

"I've come to realize that," Jeonghan nodded. "I'm sorry it took so long, Mingyu-yah," Jeonghan gave the tip of the taller man's nose a quick peck.

"M-mingyu-yah?" Mingyu started turning a deep shade of red.

"Ah, so you like hearing me calling you with little endearments?" Jeonghan smiled devilishly as he stepped forward until they were chest to chest.

Mingyu tucked his head into his chin, he was clearly embarrassed.

"You really enjoy teasing me, don't you?" Mingyu accused his hyung.

"I do," Jeonghan chuckled.

"Is it really that much fun seeing me suffer?" Mingyu pouted once again.

"I always make it up to you after I tease you, don't I?" Jeonghan pressed as he ran his hands up Mingyu's torso.

"You do," Mingyu agreed.

"So tell me, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan undid the remaining two buttons on his shirt. "What can I do for you?"

Mingyu's mind immediately started to wander. He swallowed and looked down at the smooth plains of Jeonghan's chest, the marks he'd left on the man last night stood out like beacons on his pale peaches and cream complexion. Jeonghan directed them into the bedroom where he allowed Mingyu to settle onto the bed first. The brunette straddled Mingyu's lap and played with the younger man's hair as he waited.

"You'll do anything I want?" Mingyu asked, his mouth was very dry.

"Yes," Jeonghan nodded. "I'm handing over the control to you, I don't do that for anyone, Kim Mingyu. Consider yourself the first."

"Spoil me," Mingyu simply said.

Jeonghan smiled looking at Mingyu's dazed expression before lowering himself down to the younger man's hips. The brunette pulled at the waistband of his lover's sweatpants and palmed the rigid length beneath his briefs. Mingyu closed his eyes, a shaky breath leaving his lips. Jeonghan went in without warning, he slipped Mingyu's length between his lips and began his slow torment. The younger man beneath him squirmed, a hand came down to cup the back of his head and low moans and hisses filled the room. Jeonghan flicked his tongue over the tip and chuckled when Mingyu's fingers tightened their grip on his nape.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu called his name in a low grumble.

"Hm?" Jeonghan's eyes met with Mingyu's as he took more of the man's cock into his mouth.

"I need more," Mingyu touched Jeonghan's chin.

"You've never been the patient type," Jeonghan pulled away and climbed back to straddle Mingyu's lap.

Mingyu leaned over to the nightstand and pulled out the familiar bottle of lube before uncapping it. Jeonghan was surprised he could do it all with just one hand. The younger man's eager fingers immediately found Jeonghan's entrance and started their slow process of stretching. Jeonghan draped his arms over Mingyu's shoulders and leaned in until he could feel his breath against his upper lip. Mingyu licked a line over Jeonghan's lips before clamping his mouth over them. Jeonghan moaned feeling his dongsaeng's hot tongue invade and tangle with his own. The brunette didn't have time to react before Mingyu's rigid length penetrated him down to the very root. Jeonghan bit down on his lover's shoulder, Mingyu hissed.

"You feel so good," Mingyu whispered into Jeonghan's ear, his left hand cupped the smooth globe of Jeonghan's ass.

"Do I?" Jeonghan asked as he massaged the broad plains of Mingyu's back.

"So good," Mingyu continued his breathless whispers.

Jeonghan rotated his hips and ground himself against Mingyu's crotch, it earned him a growl and a hard squeeze on his ass that would definitely leave a mark.

"Oh, mercy," Mingyu rested his head on Jeonghan's shoulder.

"My poor Mingyu," Jeonghan teased as he peppered the man's face with gentle pecks, his fingertips wiping away the sweat that poured down his forehead. "Look at you all sweaty and disheveled."

"Hyung," Mingyu breathed.

Jeonghan's breath hitched as Mingyu started thrusting faster and deeper, he was hitting the brunette's sweet spot with every thrust. Jeonghan maintained eye contact with his lover as he felt the man's movements become more jerky and desperate. In the past he'd never allowed anyone to see his face while in the ravages of pleasure but with Mingyu he couldn't care less. There was something about the way the younger man held him and caressed his cheek that made him feel safe. With Mingyu he didn't have any reservations, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment and revel in their joint pursuit of climax.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu grunted before he pressed his face into the crook of the brunette's neck.

"Mingyu," Jeonghan returned as he bit his lower lip.

Jeonghan flopped against Mingyu's chest as he climaxed and Mingyu in turn braced himself on the headboard behind them. Jeonghan whined feeling Mingyu's length pulse inside of him. He didn't have the energy to move, lovemaking was exhausting.

"I don't think I'll ever grow tired of being with you," Mingyu confessed as he licked a line up Jeonghan's throat.

"Why is that?" Jeonghan threw back his head.

"Nobody can ever satisfy me the way you do, you know exactly how to rile me up and strip me down until I'm begging for mercy," Mingyu answered.

"I know all your weaknesses, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan said with his index finger under the younger man's chin. 'Who knows what I can do with that information."

"Use it as you wish," Mingyu replied. "I'm all yours."

"Such dangerous words," Jeonghan mumbled as he leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

 

Jeon Wonwoo zipped up his laptop into its case and turned off the light in his office before heading off into the elevator. It wasn't terribly late but it wasn't early either, Soonyoung was probably waiting for him to come home and Siwoo was probably asleep. Wonwoo sighed knowing he'd missed another opportunity to tell his son a bedtime story and also missed the chance to have dinner with Soonyoung. Corporate life really did make it difficult to have a social life let alone a family. He couldn't help but feel bad for both his lover and his child, they only got to see him a few hours a day and weekends just seemed to be over before he knew it.

Wonwoo adjusted the frames of his glasses and stepped out of the elevator once it reached the building's lobby. Just as he walked out onto the smooth marble floors, he caught sight of a man dressed in a grey suit who stood hunched over before he collapsed onto his knees and clutched at his heart. The man quickly fell onto the ground and started convulsing.

"Sir?" Wonwoo ran over the man.

"A-ambulance..." Kim Sanghoon's gasped.

"Of course, sir!" Wonwoo immediately fumbled for his phone.

Wonwoo quickly dialled for an ambulance all the while keeping a vigilant eye on the older man. It wasn't until the blaring sirens arrived that Wonwoo finally stepped back and allowed the medics to do their job. He watched the man be loaded into the back of the large white vehicle before once again dialling another number. He contacted Jeonghan, chances were the brunette was with Mingyu or at least had the guy's phone number.

"Hello?" Jeonghan answered the phone.

"Are you with Mingyu?" Wonwoo didn't bother with the formalities.

"Uh...yeah, why?" Jeonghan asked.

"He needs to get to the hospital, asap," Wonwoo said.

"What? Why does he need to head back there?"

"His dad just got loaded into the back of an ambulance, I think he had a heart attack," Wonwoo informed.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"We're leaving right now," Jeonghan said before he hung up.

Wonwoo stood holding his phone limp in his hand, he hoped the CEO was going to be okay. If not they were going to be dealing with a shit storm in the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, it is me again. I've churned out another chapter, I have the write down something immediately the second I think of it or I can't remember it later on. I guess it's a good thing since I can get it out faster right? As per usual I'll edit my little mistakes within the next 24 hours. I usually upload chapters from my phone because I can't seem to write when I'm at my desk. Thank the lord for Evernote.
> 
> Happy reading! Please join me on my quest to spread the gyuhan agenda!


	16. Tremendous Pressure

Mingyu rubbed his face and strained to keep his tired eyes open, he stretched and groaned when he heard the vertebrae in his back crack and pop. He'd been sitting in the same spot for hours waiting for updates on his father's condition, so far he'd gotten zero information. He knew the nurses and doctors were preoccupied with more patients than just his father but he couldn't help feeling a little frustrated. The old man was his flesh and blood no matter how much he resented him.

"Hey," Jeonghan's voice snapped Mingyu out of his daze, the brunette reached over to intertwine their fingers. "He's going to be okay."

"Why are they taking so long?" Mingyu's grip tightened on Jeonghan's hand.

"You can't rush these things, Mingyu," Jeonghan reminded. "He's had a heart attack, they can't just slap on a band-aid and send him home."

"I know but we've been here since ten o'clock," Mingyu frowned, it was nearing three in the morning.

Jeonghan sighed as he rubbed Mingyu's back in comfort. The younger man scooted closer allowing the brunette to hold him. Amidst everything the brunette had been the one thing keeping him from having a full-blown meltdown. When a doctor finally appeared in the waiting room, Mingyu immediately straightened up. The CEO's son hissed when he accidentally put too much pressure on his broken hand but he quickly hid his expression.

"Kim Mingyu, Kim Sanghoon's son?" The doctor asked as he looked at the young man.

"Yes," Mingyu nodded.

"Your father is in stable condition but he won't be going home any time soon," the doctor informed. "Unfortunately for your father, he has a few too many vices. His smoking and drinking habits are causing some other complications and his unhealthy eating habits aren't helping his situation."

"That's not a surprise," Mingyu nodded, his dad didn't exactly lead a very healthy or balanced lifestyle, he drank like a fish and he loved his food fried.

"We're going to have to make some changes to his lifestyle, if not I don't see him living past the age of sixty," the doctor informed.

"My old man's about as stubborn as a mule, he's doesn't like change," Mingyu said.

"It's either that or an early death," the doctor said with a neutral tone. "Whether he likes it or not, he's undoubtedly in poor health. If he doesn't start changing then he's going to have to face the consequences of his poor lifestyle choices."

"Can I go see him?" Mingyu changed the subject.

"Yes," the doctor stepped aside and gestured toward the hallway. "It's room number three two six on your right."

"Thank you," Mingyu nodded at the doctor as he reached out to grab Jeonghan's hand.

The two walked together down the sterile looking hallway and stepped into the private room. Kim Sanghoon was laid out on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over his face and he was surrounded by several machines. Mingyu's hand tightened on Jeonghan's, the brunette immediately pulled Mingyu's hand up to his lips and gave the back of it a reassuring peck.

"I'm not used to seeing him like this," Mingyu whispered.

"Like what?" Jeonghan asked.

"Weak and powerless," Mingyu answered. "The father I know is invincible, he's intimidating and cold, I don't think I've ever even seen him sick."

"Probably because he doesn't want people seeing him like this," Jeonghan said as he looked at his former boss.

"Not once has he ever mentioned anything about having heart problems," Mingyu gritted his teeth.

"Parents tend to hide things from their children in order not to worry them," Jeonghan offered, his own father didn't say anything about his lung problems either. "They put their children's peace of mind over their own issues."

"What's going to happen to 'RQ&S' now? I can't just tell everyone to put things on hold until my dad gets better," Mingyu swallowed. "Someone has to be in charge."

"You're his son, aren't you?" Jeonghan cocked a brow. "Aside from you the only people who can execute the CEO role are the other company executives."

"I don't know if I trust them enough to let them have that much control over the running of this company," Mingyu replied.

"Neither do I," Jeonghan nodded in agreement. "They may be working under your father but you can't trust anyone in this industry. It's too easy for one of them to see this as an opportunity to seize control."

"This means I'll have to fill my old man's shoes, don't I?" Mingyu frowned.

"Yes," Jeonghan breathed.

"I don't want to do it alone," Mingyu turned and placed his hands on Jeonghan's hips.

"Are you asking for my help, Kim Mingyu?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"Yes," Mingyu nodded.

"I guess I don't mind reclaiming my title for a little while," Jeonghan replied before stroking Mingyu's cheeks.

* * *

 

"Okay, everyone make sure you've all gathered your belongings!" Soonyoung addressed his class of four year old preschoolers.

He watched as the children retrieved their backpacks from their little cubby holes before heading for the door to be picked up. Soonyoung waved goodbye to all the students and spoke to the few moms who were curious about their children's days. When they all finally left, Soonyoung returned to the classroom and claimed a spot beside Siwoo who was colouring in a picture by himself. Soonyoung ruffled the boy's hair and smiled as Siwoo looked up at him.

"Do you like cats, Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo asked.

"Cats?" Soonyoung cocked his head. "I think they're cute."

"Do you think dad would let me have a cat?" Siwoo continued.

"I don't know, bud," Soonyoung answered honestly. "You're just going to have to ask and find out."

"I heard that their fur is really soft," Siwoo seemed to be genuinely interested.

"A pet is a lot of responsibility, you know," Soonyoung informed. "You have to feed and love them, Siwoo."

"I know," Siwoo acknowledged. "I can do it."

"You think so?" Soonyoung chuckled.

"Yes," Siwoo adjusted his glasses with a chubby hand.

"Why the sudden interest in cats?" Soonyoung questioned the four year old.

"I get lonely sometimes," Siwoo simply answered as he continued colouring his picture.

"Lonely?" Soonyoung frowned.

"Yeah," Siwoo nodded.

"Why haven't you ever mentioned any of this to me or your dad?" Soonyoung touched the boy's cheek.

"Because good children don't cause trouble for adults," Siwoo replied. "Dad has a lot of stuff to do for work, I can't ask him to go play with me every day."

"Siwoo, your dad's first priority is always going to be you," Soonyoung placed a hand on the young boy's head. "You're the reason he works so hard, he's doing it all for you."

"For me?" Siwoo's eyes widened.

"All for you," Soonyoung nodded.

"What about you, Soonyoung-hyung?" Siwoo stood up and looked the daycare teacher in the eyes. "Am I your first priority too?"

"Buddy, you've got me wrapped around your finger," Soonyoung chuckled.

"What about my dad?" Siwoo continued his interrogation.

"He's..." Soonyoung lowered his gaze, he was having trouble finding words.

"Has my existence left you speechless?" Wonwoo's low voice made Soonyoung jump.

"Oh, hi," Soonyoung looked over at his lover who was leaning against the door frame.

"What is it that you think of me? I'd very much like to know the answer, Kwon Soonyoung," Wonwoo approached the daycare teacher and bent down to give his son a peck on the cheek.

"You're my missing piece, my touch stone, my crutch and you're absolutely perfect," Soonyoung answered.

Wonwoo's smile faltered, his heart beat quickened and he swallowed.

"Magnificent and wonderful you," Soonyoung repeated the same words Wonwoo had said to him.

"Soonyoung," Wonwoo muttered in a hushed whisper.

"Wonwoo," Soonyoung smiled.

"Siwoo," the four year old said his own name and completely ruined the mood.

The two men looked over at the boy.

"Say my name too," the four year old demanded.

"Sorry, bud," Wonwoo chuckled as he pulled his son in between him and Soonyoung.

Soonyoung smiled as he sat together with the father and son, he'd never felt so included, so loved and adored. For the first time in his life he felt like he belonged somewhere, like he was wrapped in a safety blanket and sheltered from all the bad in the world. He finally understood what it meant to love and be loved.

"Dad, can we get a cat?" Siwoo suddenly asked his father.

Soonyoung chuckled seeing Wonwoo's confused expression.

"Can we?" Soonyoung asked echoing Siwoo's question.

Wonwoo cleared his throat and composed himself before he looked Soonyoung in the eye.

"I don't know, I might consider it if I had an extra pair of hands to help me take care of it," Wonwoo said.

"Are you-are you asking me to move in?" Soonyoung's eyes widened.

"Say yes," Siwoo whispered in his teacher's ear.

"Please say yes," Wonwoo urged.

Soonyoung silently nodded. He definitely wanted to move in.

* * *

 

"I said that we weren't going to go through with the plans for expansion in the western market!" Mingyu growled as one of the executives tried to argue with him for the third time that week.

"This expansion could make us millions, the western market is massive, Kim Mingyu!" The balding executive waved his proposal in front of Mingyu's face.

"I fucking said no!" Mingyu snatched the proposal and flung it against the wall. "I'm in charge and whatever I say goes, understood?!"

"You have no idea what you're doing, this venture could potentially put us light years ahead of our competitors!"

"Do you show this much disrespect to my father on a daily basis or are you choosing to be an asshole because my father's not here?" Mingyu stepped around his desk to look down at the older man.

"Your father wouldn't be so stupid as to refuse my proposal, I'm thinking about the next step that may benefit this company," the executive started for the door. "You really are a disappointment."

As the door closed behind the older man, Mingyu flung the paperweight on his desk cascading into the door. Chips of wooden splintered onto the carpet and sent the paperweight rolling into a corner. Mingyu collapsed back into his swivel chair and braced his elbows on the desk before cradling his face. It had been a week since he'd taken over for his dad while the man recovered in hospital and already he was losing his mind. Everything had gone smoothly in the beginning but as the days went on Mingyu became more doubtful of himself. He didn't understand the full calibre of how difficult it was to be at the very top until he was faced with a stone-faced room of seasoned professionals. They didn't fear him like they did his father, they didn't respect him the same way they respected his father and they didn't take his word as order but more as a suggestion. Mingyu was only CEO in name and the crushing reality of his situation was clawing at his very soul. Maybe his father was right, he was too soft to ever be a leader.

"Mingyu?" Jeonghan's voice called as he entered his lover's office.

"Hey," Mingyu's exhausted voice breathed out.

"He came again, didn't he?" Jeonghan guessed by the expression on Mingyu's face that the same balding bastard had dropped by once again.

"They don't take me seriously at all, Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu rubbed his hands over his face.

"They're like hyenas," Jeonghan stepped over and cradled Mingyu's head. "You can't trust anyone of them."

"Then why does my father work with them?" Mingyu wrapped his arms around Jeonghan's waist.

"Money," Jeonghan answered. "They may be a bunch of untrustworthy assholes but they know how to make money, that's why they're still here."

"He's going to have his back stabbed one day," Mingyu's brow furrowed. "My old man's gone for a week and already they think they can intimidate me into doing what they want."

"You've still got me," Jeonghan assured. "I'll make sure everything stays in order."

"I'm thankful for that," Mingyu said as he stood to give the brunette a proper kiss. "I really am."

"You're doing great, Mingyu," Jeonghan said as he wrapped his arms around the younger man's neck.

"It's so fucking hard, hyung," Mingyu let out a sharp exhale. "It feels like I'm fighting a new battle every single day. If its not conferences, it's meetings and when it isn't meetings I'm going through a bunch of people wanting my approval on projects that I've never heard of."

"I see many of our higher-ups are already taking advantage of you," Jeonghan frowned. " They must think you're gullible because of your age and they're milking it for everything they've got until your father comes back."

"I'm beginning to think that my dad's deduction about my capabilities are valid," Mingyu shook his head. "I'm ready to jump ship."

"Mingyu, you're doing just fine," Jeonghan tried to comfort his lover. "We all need time to adjust when it comes to change, you're not alone. We've all been there."

"But you've never been responsible for the livelihoods of six hundred employees relying on you for a paycheck right? You just give orders and tell them to do your bidding."

"Mingyu, I know you're very sensitive right now but I don't appreciate the words coming out of your mouth," Jeonghan's hands fisted at his sides.

"I can't help it okay?! I'm stressed, my old man's in hospital, I'm suddenly in charge of an entire company and my entire board doesn't respect me! I think I deserve to have a little bit of a tantrum, don't you?!"

"Mingyu," Jeonghan's mouth pressed into a thin line.

Mingyu sat back in his swivel chair and faced the floor to ceiling glass panes that overlooked the cityscape.

"I'll give you some space, you obviously need it," Jeonghan simply said. "You're not in the best place right now."

Mingyu didn't respond.

Jeonghan let out a sharp breath as he left, he was annoyed at his lover but he needed to remind himself that the man was under a lot of pressure.

* * *

 

Soonyoung chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked around at his tiny apartment. The space was designed to be utilized by one person so it only had enough room for a bed, a small kitchen and a bathroom. Living in Seoul was expensive so it was the only place he could afford even with two jobs, it was five times more costly than his hometown of Namyangju plus he didn't have any family around to help him out. He'd always felt a little lonely ever since he moved to the big city to finish off his teaching degree but he never understood why. He had a tonne of friends and he had a bustling social life yet there was a void that could never be filled.

He'd pushed the unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind but it always managed to come back when he laid staring at the ceiling at night. It wasn't until the appearance of Jeon Siwoo and his father Wonwoo that Soonyoung finally realized why he'd felt so empty. He didn't have anyone to love. Soonyoung had grown up in your average household, he didn't come from riches or severe poverty but his family weren't exactly well off. Even then he had fond memories of his upbringing as a simple country boy. Living in Seoul had taken a large chunk of his humanity, city folk were much colder, more jaded and lacked the openness of those who lived in smaller secluded towns.

The four year old's plethora of questions and endless pursuit of knowledge had peaked Soonyoung's interest in the beginning. Siwoo seemed far too mature for someone his age, that made Soonyoung so curious. He'd just assumed the boy was just very bright. It wasn't until he started having conversations with his student that he realized why the boy had so many questions, the four year old didn't get to experience much of the world around him. Soonyoung had been told that Siwoo's father was a corporate type and immediately he'd assumed the man was one of those parents who put their work before their family. He'd guessed wrong. Jeon Wonwoo wasn't what he'd originally imagined, he was the furthest thing from Soonyoung's original image of him. Jeon Wonwoo was just a doting single dad who was trying his best to provide for his son. He didn't drop his son off at a daycare because he prioritised his work, he did it because he didn't have anyone else to rely on.

Soonyoung hadn't been all too surprised when he saw Wonwoo for the first time, with a kid as cute as Siwoo, of course his father would look equally dashing. Sure it started off as a crush but slowly he found himself becoming giddy whenever the businessman came to pick up his son. Their interactions were short but they were memorable, so memorable that Soonyoung willingly stayed back with Siwoo until the man came -- the extra one on one time with Siwoo was also a bonus, he liked talking to the four year old, the kid was hilarious.

Soonyoung snapped out of his daze when he heard his phone start to ring. He rummaged through his pockets and answered his phone as quick as he could when he saw his mother's name flash across the screen.

"Hello? Soonyoung?" His mother's voice asked.

"Hi, mom," Soonyoung replied. "Everything okay?"

"Soonyoung..." His mother's voice sounded hesitant.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Soonyoung's expression was serious.

"I know it's really out of the blue but are you able to come back home for a week or two?" His mother asked.

"Home? Why?" Soonyoung arched a brow.

"Your uncle's gone away for a trip with your aunt for a couple of weeks and we'll be short of hands here on the farm. Can you give us a helping hand until he comes back?"

"Well..." Soonyoung bit on his lower lip. "I'm not exactly in the position to go on leave, mom."

He had his daycare job and his dance classes to teach, he couldn't exactly just leave on short notice. Plus he didn't want to go back to Namyangju and leave Wonwoo and Siwoo for a whole two weeks, he'd grown too accustomed to having them around. But again, he didn't want to let his parents down, they were his flesh and blood.

"You know what? I'll figure it out, just give me a day to figure things out here and I'll head home," Soonyoung finally said.

"Call me if you need anything, son," his mother said with a relieved voice before she hung up.

"I will," Soonyoung mumbled as he stared down at his phone.

Right on cue, the front door of his apartment gave a groan as it was pushed open. Wonwoo came through with Siwoo balanced on his hip while his free hand was occupied by a brown paper bag. Soonyoung smiled seeing the two objects of his affection. Wonwoo set down the paper bag on Soonyoung's tiny kitchen counter and gave the shorter man a greeting kiss on the lips.

"How's packing going?" Wonwoo asked as he looked at the boxes that sat in the corner of the apartment.

"It's not," Soonyoung sighed.

"Are you getting cold feet?" Wonwoo joked but he suddenly felt nervous. "Is moving in too much?"

"No, no," Soonyoung put up his hands. "It's nothing like that."

"So why do you look so flustered?" Wonwoo stroked a large hand through Soonyoung's hair.

"My mom just called, she said they needed an extra pair of hands back at our farm in Namyangju for a couple of weeks until my uncle comes back from his trip," Soonyoung explained.

"So you're going back to your family's place?" Wonwoo said.

"Yeah," Soonyoung nodded.

"Can we tag along?" Wonwoo suddenly asked as he looked over at Siwoo.

"You want to go with me?" Soonyoung's eyes widened.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to see the farm!" Siwoo's excitement was apparent from the way he bounced in Wonwoo's arms.

"You don't have to pay me to do any hard labour, you just have to feed me and give me kisses," Wonwoo smiled. " I'd really like to meet your family."

"Are you sure?" Soonyoung still looked cautious.

"Yes, I want to know more about you and where you grew up, I want to know everything."

"My dad doesn't like corporate types, you know," Soonyoung informed. "Ever since contractors have showed up asking to buy our land, he's had a rather sour attitude toward men in suits."

"Then I'll just have to try my hardest to win him over, don't I?" Wonwoo didn't look the least bit flustered.

"Why do you want to win him over?" Soonyoung cocked his head.

"It's only natural to want your future in-laws to like you, right?" Wonwoo asked.

"In...in-laws?" Soonyoung's eyes widened.

"Come on, food's getting cold," Wonwoo pulled Soonyoung over to the kitchen.

Soonyoung's face was beet red, Wonwoo's words echoing in his head over and over. Wonwoo wanted to be part of the family. Wow.

* * *

 

"Are you fucking serious?!" Mingyu slammed his palm on his desk as he read over the email from their Japanese branch.

"What's wrong?" Jeonghan asked as he looked over Mingyu's shoulder.

"Why does everything always go wrong when it comes to our Japanese projects?!" Mingyu growled as he pushed himself up from his chair and went to pace back and forth.

Jeonghan read over the email and massaged his temples when he got to the last sentence. The same thing had happened once again, the stock that was supposed to be shipped over to Tokyo didn't get cleared through customs and now sat idle in freight container somewhere in a Japanese warehouse. Apparently the head of the Japanese branch had kept the issue under wraps thinking he could solve the issue without anyone knowing. Jeonghan took a deep breath to compose himself, he'd been more than a little irritable in the last week and with Mingyu being equally sensitive, Jeonghan was close to having a full-blown meltdown.

"I'll fly out tonight," Jeonghan concluded without a bit of hesitation.

"What? No!" Mingyu's head snapped around. "I need you here, you're the only one who I can rely on around here."

"So you expect me to sit back and turn a blind eye to the sinking ship that is our Japanese branch? We can't just let them tank, Mingyu," Jeonghan reasoned.

"I'm willing to make the sacrifice," Mingyu argued. "We need to focus on our core market, we can deal with overseas expansion when my old man comes back, let him fix it."

"That's not how it works, Mingyu," Jeonghan shook his head. "The Japanese consumers have been waiting for the footwear collection to drop since we debuted it here in Korea, we'd lose a lot more than just profit if we don't deliver. We'd lose customer loyalty, brand recognition and exposure to name a few. I need to get to Tokyo."

"Japan, Japan, Japan! Why're you so adamant about going to that place?! Do you really like it that much?! If you just want to get away from me than just say it!"

"Why are you suddenly acting like I'm the enemy?!" Jeonghan demanded. "I'm just trying to rectify the situation, Mingyu! I'm not abandoning you!"

"Then stay with me! I need you here to support me!"

"Using emotional blackmail is a whole new low, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan accused.

"It's all I've got," Mingyu replied.

"I need to go," Jeonghan took a step back.

"I should've known, you were always going to choose your job over me," Mingyu scoffed.

"When you're acting like this, it makes my decision rather easy," Jeonghan shot back as he slammed the door behind him.

Mingyu angrily kicked the paper basket at his feet and sent it crashing into the wall, it took down one of lamps on the mantle -- the shattered light bulb left glass remnants all over the floor. Mingyu sat back in his chair and started berating himself. Why did he do that? Why did he have to open his mouth and say those things? Jeonghan was just doing his job and he'd managed to somehow make his lover feel like shit for it. He was beginning to agree with his father's words, he really wasn't cut out for the cutthroat corporate life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter finally!~~~
> 
> Happy reading, y'all!


	17. A Much Needed Conversation

Soonyoung sat impatiently tapping his foot as he sat beside Wonwoo inside the car. Wonwoo had offered to drive the twenty-four kilometres from Seoul to Namyangju and Soonyoung had gratefully accepted, he didn't like the idea of travelling by train -- the uncomfortable chairs did terrible things to his neck and back. The drive to his hometown was relatively quiet with Siwoo asking his father questions now and again about certain things he saw outside the window.

"Why aren't there any big buildings? Why does it look so empty?" Siwoo asked as he looked at the large plots of land.

"Because this isn't the city, bud," Wonwoo explained. "Out here everyone grows things and you can't do that with big buildings in the way."

"Oh," Siwoo acknowledged as he continued to stare outside in pure wonderment.

"You nervous?" Wonwoo reached over to touch Soonyoung's hand.

"A little...okay, a lot," Soonyoung answered.

"You really think they won't like me?" Wonwoo asked.

"Mom will love you, she's an absolute sucker for a handsome face but I don't know how dad's going to react," Soonyoung admitted. "You're the very first guy I'm actually taking home."

"The first? Really?" Wonwoo looked rather smug hearing Soonyoung's statement.

"I've never liked anyone enough to bring them home to meet my parents," Soonyoung blushed.

"So I'm special?" Wonwoo was still smiling.

"Very," Soonyoung nodded.

Wonwoo turned into the long driveway leading up to Soonyoung's family home and parked behind an old white van. He got Siwoo out of his seat and held his son on one arm while the other carried a duffle bag. Soonyoung lead the way inside. The front of Soonyoung's family home was rather charming, it was a neutral shade of beige with a terracotta tiled roof. Two pairs of gumboots were lined up outside the door and a ceramic statue of a frog sat in the small patch of grass just below the steps leading to the porch. Wonwoo took off his shoes and followed Soonyoung inside. A woman's excited squeal made Wonwoo jump. He immediately bowed when an older woman ran out of the kitchen and engulfed Soonyoung in a hug.

"Soonyoung!" The older woman shouted in excitement.

"Hi, mom," Soonyoung said, his voice coming out thin because of the air being squeezed out of him.

"And this must be Wonwoo and Siwoo?" The woman turned to look at her son's lover and his child.

"Yes they are," Soonyoung smiled fondly at the two.

"My son definitely has my taste, so dashing," Soonyoung's mother said as she walked over to Wonwoo, her attention immediately landed on Siwoo. "And you, sweetheart, are the most handsome little man I've ever seen."

"Thank you," Siwoo said before clinging onto his dad, the compliment made him shy.

"It's really nice meeting you," Wonwoo said. "I'm Jeon Wonwoo and this is my son, Jeon Siwoo."

"Oh I know, dear," Soonyoung's mother smiled, her eyes turning into crescents just like her son. "Soonyoung won't stop talking about how wonderful you are."

"Does he now?" Wonwoo winked at Soonyoung who turned away clearly embarrassed.

"Well make yourselves comfortable, I've prepared the guest room for you upstairs, it's the third door to the left," Soonyoung's mother said. "There's a bathroom on your right and if you need anything just give me a holler."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kwon I know you weren't expecting to have extra guests," Wonwoo apologised.

"On the contrary, dear, I'm excited to finally meet my son's significant other," Mrs. Kwon waved off Wonwoo's apology. "Here I thought my son would be alone forever, this is very exciting."

"Thanks, mom," Soonyoung rolled his eyes as he lead Wonwoo up to the guest room.

"She's lovely," Wonwoo acknowledged as he followed Soonyoung.

"Just wait till you meet my dad," Soonyoung threw over his shoulder.

Admittedly, Wonwoo did feel rather anxious about meeting his lover's father but on the other hand he wanted to see what kind of man managed to raise such a bright human being. If the man could nurture someone as sweet as Soonyoung, he couldn't be that bad of a person right?

* * *

 

"Hey, it's me," Jeonghan said through the voice message. "Just letting you know that I landed safely here in Haneda. I hope you're eating and sleeping enough. I'll be back in a week, you probably won't listen to this but I thought you'd like to know. Bye."

Mingyu slipped his phone back into his pocket and continued staring out the car window. Minghao gave his friend a concerned look out of the corner of his eye as drove, they hadn't had a proper conversation in a while.

"Was that Jeonghan?" Minghao broke the silence.

"Yeah," Mingyu answered, just his voicemail but it was still Jeonghan.

"Care to tell me what triggered you both this time?" Minghao asked.

"Not us, just me," Mingyu replied.

"Let me guess, being the head honcho is more difficult than you thought?" Minghao cocked a brow.

"Bingo," Mingyu nodded.

"So you blew up and took it out on Jeonghan?"

"Yup," Mingyu nodded again.

"It's like an endless cycle," Minghao said as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. "You both always manage to trigger each other in some way, shape or form."

"You're not wrong," Mingyu's disheartened tone muttered.

"From what I see, you both definitely have strong feelings for each other but this lover-coworker dynamic is not working for either of you. Most of the conflict is coming from your relationship in the workplace more than anything."

"What are you trying to say?" Mingyu shot Minghao a look.

"I'm just giving you my two cents, that's all," Minghao said as he parked the car.

"Thanks for the ride," was all Mingyu said before he got out and headed for the hospital entrance.

"Wishing you all the best, man," Minghao called out to his friend before putting his car back in gear.

Mingyu went through all the formalities and headed to his father's hospital room. The man was propped up in his bed holding a plastic fork in his hand, he was prodding at the beige slush that sat on a tray in front of him. The CEO's head immediately turned once he saw his son.

"Mingyu," his father acknowledged.

"You doing okay?" Mingyu sat down in one of the plastic chairs.

"As okay as someone can be after a heart attack," the old CEO answered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Mingyu asked. "Why didn't you say anything about your heart condition?"

"Because I don't like people knowing about my weaknesses."

"So it all comes down to your ego," Mingyu accused. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Jeonghan called me a little while ago," Sanghoon changed the subject. "He says you had him reclaim his position at the office, is that right?"

"Yeah."

"He said you were doing a good job of holding the fort while I'm here."

"He lied," Mingyu interjected. "I'm close to pulling all my hair out, so fucking close."

"The higher up you are, the more suffocating it is, isn't it?" Sanghoon asked.

"Yeah," Mingyu hung his head.

There was a long silence before Sanghoon opened his mouth.

"I didn't mean to hurt your mother," Sanghoon set down his fork. "I was around your age when I started 'RQ&S,' it was a tiny startup company that was operated out of an old building that used to be an accounting firm."

Mingyu was silent as he listened to his dad.

"I was so obsessed with pursuing success that it was all I could think about. I convinced myself that I was doing it all for the sake of my family's future but deep down it was just to stroke my own ego. I liked the idea of having money, I liked the idea of having power so I disregarded everything, blocked out anything that could hinder me from getting to my goal."

"And you hurt mom in the process," Mingyu concluded.

"I did, I rarely ever came home, I didn't bother making time for her and I ended up pushing her away. All the money I'd transfer into her account was left untouched, now that I think about it maybe it was her way of telling me that it wasn't the money that she needed -- she needed her husband."

"You must really regret not treating her better," Mingyu frowned.

"I do," Sanghoon nodded. "Everyday."

"Even though you were a bad husband, she still wanted to see you when she was sick."

"Which is exactly why I can understand your less than favourable opinion of me," Sanghoon said.

"We have all the time in the world right now," Mingyu clasped his hands together in his lap. "So tell me why you've been such an asshole to me all these years."

"In all honesty, I thought being strict with you was a good thing," Sanghoon sighed. "I didn't want you growing up with loose morals and questionable ethics like me. I should've caught on when your teachers would tell me about your hunger for praise, you obviously didn't receive any from me."

"All those certificates and awards yet you never congratulated me for any of them," Mingyu muttered. "It definitely kept me humble so I'll give you that."

"I know a simple apology won't make up for all the grief I've given you," Sanghoon acknowledged.

"You know, I had my own motives when you forced this job on me," Mingyu interrupted. "I thought that if I managed to play nice and work my way up to the top that I'd finally be able to prove myself. I wanted to kick you off your high horse, I really did. But now that I'm here, I don't want anything more than to get out. It's lonely being at the top."

"It is, isn't it?" Sanghoon agreed.

"I've already pissed Jeonghan off and I'm the one who dragged him back into this mess," Mingyu slumped in his chair.

"I doubt you actually forced it on him, he willingly came back according to my conversation with him," Sanghoon comforted his son.

"But he's left for a different country," Mingyu countered. "I don't think that's a good sign."

"Because he has a job to do, son," Sanghoo defended. "You two argue about fabric swatches and whether or not a garment should have pockets every other week. In the end you're eating takeout together in the meeting room. Don't be so dramatic."

"How do you know he's not angry at me?"

"Because he gives me a progress report every day of everything going on at the company," Sanghoon answered. "He knows that you're stressed and he understands that, yes he gets annoyed but again, he's been putting up with me for a lot longer than he has with you. I'm ten times worse than you, believe me."

"He really gives you progress reports?" Mingyu asked.

"Yes, just to give me peace of mind," Sanghoon confirmed.

"What do you think about him? Be honest."

"He's good looking, smart, knows how to lead, a little competitive but who isn't?" Sanghoon said thoughtfully. "His taste in men though..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mingyu looked genuinely offended.

"I kid, I kid," Sanghoon laughed clutching his chest, it was still tender.

"I don't think I've ever heard you crack a joke," Mingyu looked over at his father.

"You wouldn't crack jokes either if you spent your days the way I do," Sanghoon adjusted himself on the bed.

"I got a taste of it, it sucks."

"Which is exactly why I wanted you to stay away from it."

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"I tried to scare you away from following in my footsteps but you stubbornly wanted to prove yourself to me and went in the field of business," Sanghoon shook his head. "I even put you in Jeonghan's care knowing you'd have conflict yet the tables somehow turned and you ended up as an item."

"It definitely didn't happen overnight, I assure you," Mingyu snorted.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted when I found out about you two, it came as a little bit of a shock."

"You're being way too nice, did you hit your head when you collapsed?" Mingyu still looked cautious.

"I guess you could say it took a brief dance with death for me to realise how much of a prick I've been," Sanghoon said with a dry laugh.

"Well I definitely know where I got my stubbornness from," the corner of Mingyu's mouth turned up into a crooked smile. "It took a heart attack for you to finally have your little epiphany, you're a piece of work old man."

"At least I have two working hands," Sanghoon shot back at his son.

"Touché," Mingyu didn't have a rebuttal.

"Hold the fort for now, son, I'll teach you everything properly when I get out of here," Sanghoon reached over with a wrinkled hand to touch Mingyu's shoulder.

"Thanks," Mingyu said, it felt nice having a conversation without the condescending tone and look of disapproval.

"And I'm sorry," Sanghoon finally added.

"For?" Mingyu cocked a brow.

"Everything, your mother, the way I raised you, the way I still treat you, everything."

Mingyu smiled.

"You're doing good, son, you're doing good," the older man continued to pat his son's shoulder.

"Now open your ears and listen up, I'll teach you how to win your way back into Jeonghan's good graces."

"Dating advice? You're offering me dating advice?" Mingyu admonished.

"Do you want Jeonghan back or not?"

"I do," Mingyu nodded.

"So what you're going to do is..."

Mingyu listened intently as his father spoke, for the first time he was actually eager to know what the old man had to say -- mainly because he was being spoken too like an equal. Apparently a brush with death was the motivation his old man needed to realise the error of his ways. It was the pinnacle of dark humour.

* * *

  
"Alright, grab those shovels and we're moving to the next plot," Soonyoung's father, a stout man dressed in gardening overalls and protective gloves, lead them from one part of the garden to the next.

"I'm sorry," Soonyoung looked over apologetically at Wonwoo. "You're a guest here yet you have to do heavy labour."

"It's fine, I don't mind it to be perfectly honest," Wonwoo said as he carried a shovel on his shoulder. "Farm work is self explanatory, you turn over the soil, you make a hole and plant the seedling. It's simple, I like simple."

"You definitely look good in overalls and a straw hat," Soonyoung smiled up at the taller man.

"Then I'll have to sport this attire more often," Wonwoo smiled right back at his lover.

"Lovebirds! Over here! We have radishes to plant!" Soonyoung's father bellowed.

"Sorry, Mr. Kwon," Wonwoo addressed the man formally.

"Soonyoung! Can you come light the fire for the charcoal grill?!" Soonyoung's mother called from the house.

"Now?" Soonyoung looked back and forth between his lover and father -- he didn't want to leave them alone.

"Yes!" His mother answered.

"I'll be back, Kwon Fire has been summoned," Soonyoung said jokingly to lighten the mood despite his anxiety regarding his dad.

As Soonyoung disappeared back into the house, Wonwoo dove right into turning over the soil. Mr. Kwon watched him intently as Wonwoo worked. The older man adjusted the baseball cap on his balding head and leaned on his shovel.

"My son fell for a city slicker, I just knew it was going to happen at some point," Mr. Kwon shook his head. "A city slicker with a kid too, my son sure knows how to pick them."

"Soonyoung told me you didn't like men in suits," Wonwoo stopped shoveling.

"They're quite hard to trust, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, we didn't earn our reputation for being honest," Wonwoo nodded.

"You can understand why I'm a little...suspicious about you, right?"

"It's only fair that you'd have reservations regarding me."

"You obviously have a kid and no wife, so what happened? Did you scare her off?"

"More like she popped out our child and ran away because she didn't want to be a mom," Wonwoo explained.

"So you've been raising your kid alone?"

"Yes sir, I'm his sole guardian."

"Raising a kid ain't easy, let me tell you," Soonyoung's father adjusted his cap. "That Soonyoung of mine started dancing before he knew how to walk. There was never a second of silence in our house, after he moved away this place became so quiet you'd think it was a cemetery."

"He's definitely livened up my life," Wonwoo smiled to himself.

"So what are your intentions with my son?" Mr. Kwon came to stand in front of Wonwoo, he puffed out his chest in an attempt to look tough despite Wonwoo being much taller.

"Are you expecting me to marry your son?" Wonwoo chuckled, he wasn't intimidated.

"So you're a joker," Mr. Kwon kept up his macho fasçade.

"When I want to be," Wonwoo replied.

"Why're you here, son?" Soonyoung's father then folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm not here to buy your land, sir, I assure you," Wonwoo replied. "I just wanted to formally meet my boyfriend's family and spend some quality time out here with him. Maybe even learn a few things about farming, nothing more."

"Well you definitely need some guidance," Mr. Kwon adjusted his hat again out of habit.

"Why? I think I'm doing rather well," Wonwoo said.

"You're supposed to plant the seedlings, you buried them," Mr. Kwon nodded over at Wonwoo's handy work. "The green parts aren't supposed to be buried, you egg!"

"Oh," Wonwoo looked down at his feet.

"Let's start again from the beginning," Mr. Kwon sighed. "You city boy types wouldn't last long out here."

"Thanks for being patient with me," Wonwoo said as he rescued the seedlings from under the soil.

"I have to, my son won't forgive me if I don't," Mr. Kwon shot Wonwoo a look. "That son of mine gets a boyfriend and he forgets all about his old man."

"Well thanks anyway," Wonwoo smiled. "It's nice to know he grew up with a loving family."

"Stop kissing my ass and help me plant these seedlings!" Mr. Kwon was all back to business.

"Yes sir," Wonwoo nodded, he smiled stupidly to himself as he helped Soonyoung's dad.

* * *

 

Jeonghan sent his last email back to head office and collapsed back onto the hotel sofa. He was very much done for the day. Getting everything done was easy, getting them done when he couldn't understand a lick of Japanese was the hard part. He was very appreciative of his translator because getting their stock past customs was a nightmare. Apparently that high of a quantity of footwear being rush shipped to Japan via freight was "suspicious" and after multiple tests they were cleared and finally able to have it shipped to their stores. Jeonghan placed a hand under his jaw and massaged the area, he'd been clenching it out of stress the entire day and it was beginning to bother him. Just as he went to head to the shower, his phone started ringing on the coffee table. It was Mingyu's number.

Jeonghan let it ring for several seconds, he picked up in the end.

"Hello?"

"Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu's low voice said.

"Hey," Jeonghan returned.

"Are you busy?"

"No, I'm not," Jeonghan stood and started pacing.

"Um...can we talk?"

"Sure."

"About what happened before you left, I...uh, I made a lot of off-handed comments."

"You did but you were also under a lot of stress," Jeonghan replied.

"Yes but it shouldn't be an excuse," Mingyu countered.

"If you're calling to apologise then yes, I accept."

"What?" Mingyu sounded confused.

"I accept your apology," the brunette repeated.

"But I had so much more to say."

"Look, I didn't like how you acted and that's the truth but I'm not angry at you, okay? Let's make that clear," Jeonghan sat back down on the sofa. "I told you, I'm in Japan to do my job. I didn't use it as an excuse to get away from you or spite you in any way. I've been sending you reports of everything going on at the Japanese branch haven't I?"

"Well...Yes," Mingyu answered.

"I understand that you would assume things based on my past actions but you also have to give me some credit, Kim Mingyu. I'm not perfect but I do learn."

"Well this was sort of anticlimactic."

"How so?"

"I had a whole long apology prepared, I even planned to grovel."

"I'd rather you not, Kim Mingyu."

"When are you coming back?" Mingyu sounded less tense.

"I don't know, everything here needs work, your old man wasn't kidding when he said this place needed a competent COO," Jeonghan sighed.

"So you're telling me you're going to be there for a while?"

"Unfortunately," Jeonghan said.

"I'm flying over," Mingyu's tone was resolute.

"What?" Jeonghan shot up from the sofa once more.

"It's a Friday night, I'll be there in a few hours and fly back Monday, nobody will even know I'm gone."

"Mingyu, you're crazy," Jeonghan chuckled.

"You bet I am," the sound of rustling was apparent on Mingyu's end.

"Can I stop you?" Jeonghan didn't actually want to stop his lover, he just wanted to pretend he had a voice of reason.

"I doubt it," Mingyu replied.

"Make sure to pack some underwear," Jeonghan finally said.

"I will, love you," Mingyu said before he hung up.

Jeonghan stared blankly at his phone, Mingyu's smiling profile picture stared back at him. Did he just say "love?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all I'm not in the greatest mood.
> 
> I know my stories can come off as repetitive but just keep in mind that I'm not a professional by any means. I write these stories because I enjoy it and because it's therapeutic for me. If you're starting to dislike the pattern feel free to stop reading, no hard feelings. I just don't enjoy seeing a sassy comment justified as being constructive criticism. 
> 
> Example is this one from the last chapter:  
> "Gyuhan will remain rare if writers like you keep writing about them cause they aren't interesting enough to hold readers and invest to the ship same repetitive portrayal. Fandoms hold big deal in fanfics when come to ships and Gyuhan lack good writers I thought I found one meh I thought wrong. I won't reading your stories anymore."
> 
> WTF, is that even? gyuhan remain rare because of my portrayal of them in a fanfic? BISH, cash me ousside, how bout dat? Fandoms hold big deals in fanfics? I don't know about you but all my friends see fanfics as just fun stories they like to laugh and cry to given the premise. 
> 
> Look, I'm fully aware that I sound immature, because I am. This same person even sought me out on Twitter pretending to be a different person and got caught because they used the exact same argument and saying she's discontent with every other gyuhan writer (I took full offence since there are plenty that are far superior to my own stories.) I know you're not happy with my writing but why go to the lengths of even harassing me on my social media? Why does it bother you that much? You can click off my writing at any given time. If you want to dispute, I have screenshots to debunk your bullshit.
> 
> I'm not going to delete my replies to this person on the previous chapter because I acknowledge that I didn't react rationally, I acknowledge that my words are nasty but I'm not going to bury it and pretend I'm the bigger person (I'm not Laura Lee or Manny MUA) -- not tea, no shade, no pink lemonade, no ma'am. All I can say is I'll try to be better at receiving criticism in the future but even saying that I've always been rather vocal.
> 
> Also, 95zSoulmate requested me to write this story following her prompt which is very specific so as long as they're happy so am I. It's at the very top of this fic: "For 95zSoulmate." 
> 
> Sorry for the word vomit, I'm up in my feelings right now plus I'm leaving for a business trip in five hours to Melbourne so I am STRESSED. I promise I'll be a lot more levelheaded the next time I write my notes. I definitely ain't going on hiatus because of this person's comment, I work for a fashion magazine, I've definitely received my fair share of harsh words. The only difference is that I get paid and can't talk back. XD


	18. Heart to Heart

Jeonghan checked the time on his phone, he'd been waiting at the arrival gate for about half an hour. He'd originally planned on getting to the airport around the same time Mingyu's flight landed but his excitement got the better of him. He'd arrived with his hair still damp from the shower and his socks mismatched. He wanted to feel embarrassed but he didn't, not in the slightest -- nothing could stop him from acting like a lovestruck teenager, not even the judgemental old Japanese woman who stared at him from across the airport.

Jeonghan's lips curled into a smile when the automatic doors opened and out came his favourite palm tree. Mingyu was dressed in a simple black tracksuit with a duffle bag slung across his broad torso. His bandaged hand was clutched close to his body while the other held his passport. His lover's sharp canines flashed as they spotted one another. Jeonghan immediately slid his hands into Mingyu's hair and tip-toed to give the taller man a gentle peck on the forehead.

"Hey stranger," Jeonghan said with a smile.

"Hey," Mingyu replied, his good hand stroked Jeonghan's lower back.

"Come on, I'll drive," Jeonghan ushered his lover outside.

"You have a car?" Mingyu cocked a brow.

"Company car," Jeonghan dangled the shiny silver keys between his elegant digits.

Mingyu got into the front passenger seat and buckled himself in. He simply stared out the window as Jeonghan drove away from the airport and toward the city, he didn't know how to start up a conversation. Part of him wanted to immediately start apologising some more but the other side of him didn't think that apologising in a car was the best way to do it.

"Still planning on groveling?" Jeonghan asked, he looked over briefly at Mingyu before turning his attention back to the road.

"How'd you know?" Mingyu's eyes widened.

"Because you're biting your nails," Jeonghan answered before reaching over and taking hold of Mingyu's hand. "You do it when you're contemplating."

"Oh," Mingyu replied, his hand tightened around Jeonghan's.

"I said it was fine, you don't need to say or do anything," Jeonghan assured.

"But I was such a dick," Mingyu pouted.

"And so was I when you first started at the company," Jeonghan said. "Remember how badly I treated you? You managed to forgive me so I should do the same."

"You know, now that you mention it, you let me get away with a lot more than you used to."

"Do I?"

"Yeah, back then you used to shut down almost everything I had to say."

"You didn't exactly leave a good first impression, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan gave his lover a look. "That little 'pretty boy assistant' comment landed you straight on the blacklist."

"I knew that would come back to haunt me," Mingyu scratched his head.

Jeonghan smiled watching Mingyu turn pink.

"You weren't what I expected when my dad said he'd have someone mentor me, it threw me off. I expected some old ball bag who smelt like cigarettes but I got you instead, I say dumb stuff when I get nervous."

"I know," Jeonghan nodded with a chuckle.

"Needless to say, I wasn't happy about your arrogance or your rigid way of doing things but I was still very much attracted to you. In my eyes you were this untouchable person who was in my dad's favour, his golden boy, something that I wanted to be -- I simply didn't like you because you were something I wasn't."

"So you were jealous of me?" Jeonghan asked.

"Very," Mingyu replied.

Jeonghan nodded.

"That night at Minghao's art exhibition, that was when I started to realize what I had wasn't some little crush," Mingyu continued. "Seeing you smiling so much with someone else wasn't a very nice experience. I know it was just your brother but in that moment I wanted to snatch you away."

"So you dragged me into the bathroom of all places?" Jeonghan chuckled.

"It was the best I could do," Mingyu said with a shy smile.

"It's nice to finally hear about it, I don't think we've ever touched on any of this," Jeonghan acknowledged.

"We were too busy fighting about footwear," Mingyu reminisced thinking about their countless nights in the meeting room.

"You've changed quite a bit, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan brought his lover's hand to his lips and gave the back of it a quick peck.

"Tell me how, I want to know what you thought of me as well," Mingyu pushed.

"I obviously thought you were handsome, you were the living embodiment of the phrase 'tall, dark and handsome' but your mouth was an issue."

Mingyu pouted.

"Of course I didn't help the situation and met hostility with more hostility so that's not all your fault. We were both forced into positions we didn't want, me as your mentor and you as the one being mentored."

"When did your feelings start to change?" Mingyu found himself asking, it was a question he desperately wanted to know.

"Very early on but I just didn't want to admit it," Jeonghan answered. "You were impulsive, impatient, quick to get upset and you were so desperate for attention. You reminded me so much of Dokyeom, I found it endearing but I also had to remind myself that you were my boss's son. Before you came along all I ever cared about was my job and my younger brother but somehow you made me start to question my priorities, you made me want more -- that terrified me."

"So you started finding excuses not to want me," Mingyu guessed.

"I did," Jeonghan nodded. "But your stubborn self didn't give up, you kept chasing, you kept giving me reasons to stay and you broke through the walls that I was convinced were impenetrable."

"What do you think of me right now?" Mingyu turned to look at Jeonghan, he swallowed.

"From a business standpoint, I think that you're a smart young man who is capable of amazing things with a little bit of positive reinforcement and a guiding hand. But as your lover I think you're affectionate, sometimes bordering on needy. You're impulsive but it's because you don't want any opportunity to slip you by, you don't hesitate. You're so very stubborn but you can also be undone with a few sweet words. Despite my every attempt to run away you always caught me and made me face my feelings, you didn't let me make excuses. You made me love you."

Mingyu froze.

Jeonghan froze also realising what he'd said. He started frantically blinking, his palms became sweaty and his breathing became uneven. He'd said it. He'd said it out loud.

"You..." Mingyu swallowed. "You love me? Me as in Kim Mingyu?"

Jeonghan felt very hot, he turned on the air conditioning. "I do."

"I...I love you too, Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu reached back over to grab Jeonghan's hand -- their palms were both equally sweaty.

"Thank god," Jeonghan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

* * *

 

Soonyoung silently fanned the fire under the charcoal grill for the second day in a row. Being at his childhood home made him feel so nostalgic. It brought him back to a time when he was still just a teenager dreaming of running away to the big city. He'd spent his nights outside on the same plastic stool fanning the fire for his mother so she could boil water or grill fish. It was crazy how different his life was now after so many years. Soonyoung almost didn't believe it.

"You okay there, son?" Soonyoung's dad grunted as he sat down beside his son on one of the spare plastic stools.

"Yeah," Soonyoung replied.

"Any reason why you're out here? Your mother's done cooking, fire's not really needed anymore," his dad nodded at the still blazing fire.

"Just wanted to have some quiet time by myself and organise my thoughts," Soonyoung answered.

"Son, I love you to death but we both know you don't have a lot of thoughts to organise," Soonyoung's father patted his son's back.

"What do you think of Wonwoo?" Soonyoung blurted completely ignoring his dad's words.

The older man's expression turned serious before he let out a defeated sigh.

"I'll admit, he's a nice guy," his dad admitted. "Not built or cut out for farming but he's nice."

"Really?" Soonyoung felt the corners of his mouth pull into a smile.

"I had my doubts but now I take it back, he's not like the usual suits I've dealt with," Soonyoung's dad said.

"Does that mean I have your approval?"

"Look son, I don't know much about this man on man romance stuff, I'm not well versed in the world of sword fighting but my gut is never wrong," the older man touched his round belly.

"You could just say gay instead of sword fighting, dad," Soonyoung shook his head.

"I'm old, Soonyoung, cut your old man some slack."

"What about Siwoo? What do you think of him?"

"He's a little firecracker that boy, full of questions," Soonyoung's father clasped his hands together and turned to face his son. "You know, raising a child isn't easy and it requires a lot of work, Kwon Soonyoung. It's never going to be just you and your lover, having a child involved makes a relationship all the more complicated and requires a whole lot of compromise."

"I know," Soonyoung nodded. "I know but...I don't think I see myself with anyone else, I think I've found my home away from home and it's with them," Soonyoung looked through the screen door, Wonwoo and Siwoo were sat cross-legged on the living room floor with his mother.

"It's going to be a lot of responsibility, son," his father warned. "You're going to be just as responsible for that boy as his actual father. You have to be sure, you can't just up and leave them one day because you changed your mind. Are you sure?"

"I haven't been so sure of something in my life," Soonyoung smiled as he watched Wonwoo pop a grape into his son's mouth. "I think I've found my forever."

"And here your mother and I thought we would never have a grandchild," Soonyoung's father said with a pat on his son's back. "I was close to adopting a dog for your mother."

"You're really okay with this?" Soonyoung asked.

"I'm your dad, Soonyoung. As long as you're not doing drugs, committing crimes or murder I'm satisfied as a parent."

Soonyoung didn't give his old man a reply, he wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders and moved in close, the plastic legs of his stool scraped against the dirt below as he scooted.

"I think your man buried his glasses while he was planting seedlings today."

"Did you help him find them?" Soonyoung questioned.

"Was I supposed to?"

"Dad!"

"He can afford new ones."

Soonyoung simply shook his head as he fanned the fire in front of him, his dad still didn't like the corporate types.

* * *

 

Jeonghan sat stroking Mingyu's hair while the younger man rested his head on his lap. The thick black locks sifted threw his fingers like raw silk. The brunette smiled when he heard Mingyu let out a contented sigh. Jeonghan continued to stroke Mingyu's hair.

"Can I ask you some more questions?" Mingyu suddenly looked up at Jeonghan.

"Sure," Jeonghan nodded.

"You don't talk about your past a lot, am I allowed to know why?"

Jeonghan's hand stopped mid-stroke.

"I don't have very fond memories, well, more like the bad ones overshadow all the good," Jeonghan said.

"Minghao's been friends with your brother for a while now, he said you two pretty much only have each other. He also said you weren't very well off either."

"Minghao's right, my family were part of the humble working class just barely making it," Jeonghan nodded. "Relative poverty if you want to get technical, we had enough to survive but that was it."

"Would it be too much to ask about your parents? You can tell me if you'd rather not," Mingyu looked up at Jeonghan and touched the older man's chin.

"You deserve to know more about me," Jeonghan pointed out before taking a calming breath. "Dad died when I was a teenager, his lungs had deteriorated because the man smoked like a chimney, one day it just gave out. Mom became an alcoholic after he died, she fell into depression knowing she was responsible for taking care of both her teenage sons and making money for the family. One night she packed her things and ran off, I haven't heard from her since."

"Sorry," Mingyu whispered and kissed the back of Jeonghan's hand.

"Yeah, not exactly a fond memory," Jeonghan frowned.

"So you've been on your own since you were, what, eighteen?" Mingyu calculated.

"I had Dokyeom with me but yes, I've been the breadwinner for our tiny family," Jeonghan nodded.

"Must've been hard, living expenses in Seoul are ridiculously high."

"It was, I worked every waking moment I wasn't at university and studied while I was on my lunch breaks," Jeonghan informed. "After I graduated I applied for a job at your dad's company and landed myself a job working under the COO, the rest is stuff you already know."

"I can't fault you on your role as a leader, you definitely know how to do that," Mingyu commented.

"I had a strict teacher," Jeonghan said. "Your father always said to treat our subordinates like soldiers, make them respect you but also fear you. That way you're able to keep them in line and none will question your authority. I made sure to never cross any boundaries, I make sure the employees get fare treatment and in turn I receive their loyalty."

"That sounds like my dad," Mingyu confirmed.

"Speaking of your father, the man's decision to give you a position under me fresh out of school wasn't something I agreed with, it was the classic example of pure nepotism at work."

"Can I gather that that didn't sit too well with you?"

"Of course, you were his son and you'd just come back from studying in a foreign country on the man's dollar. People spend their lives working to get promoted but even then they don't reach very far. It bothered me more than I'd like to admit."

"Do you still think I'm spoilt and entitled?" Mingyu asked.

"No," Jeonghan said. "Your dad might've paved the way but you had to cover all that ground on you own two feet."

"Jeonghan-hyung," Mingyu whispered his lover's name.

"Yes?"

"What's your goal? What are you striving to achieve?" Mingyu questioned. "Can you paint me a picture of what your future will look like?"

Jeonghan chewed on his lower lip trying to find the right words.

"I see me and you together bickering on our fiftieth anniversary," Jeonghan simply answered.

"Fiftieth?" Mingyu smiled, his canines peeking out from their hiding place. "You see us being together until then?"

"You don't think it'll happen?" Jeonghan challenged, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"I'd imagine by then both of us would be so old and senile that neither of us would have the energy to fight," Mingyu chuckled.

"I don't know, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan snaked his arms around the taller man's neck. "You're so good at making me feel things, who knows what kind of ammunition you'd have in the future. I really want to see our words become reality."

"Do you want to know what my mom always said?" Mingyu kissed the tip of Jeonghan's nose.

"What did she say?"

"She said that in order to make your dreams come true you have to put it out in the world, keep telling yourself it'll happen and eventually you'll start to believe it."

Jeonghan smiled fondly at Mingyu.

"Everything I say becomes reality," Mingyu said with a confident smile. "Everything."

Jeonghan silently stared at the younger man with a look of pure adoration on his delicate features. Before he could say anything more, his phone rudely interrupted him and filled the room with a loud trill. Jeonghan answered it with an annoyed sigh.

"Hello? Yoon Jeonghan speaking," Jeonghan answered and turned on the speakerphone.

"Jeonghan-shi?" A frantic female voice replied.

"What's wrong?" Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"You need to come back to Seoul."

"Why?"

"We're in trouble, Jeonghan-shi," the woman's voice was shaky. "A huge amount of money has gone missing."

"What?" Mingyu shot up from the sofa, his eyes held a look of disbelief.

"You're kidding me right?" Jeonghan huffed at the hilarity of the accusation, it was just too ridiculous.

"Forty billion won has gone missing, Jeonghan-shi."

"That's impossible," Jeonghan muttered, his hands began to shake.

"It's true, Jeonghan-shi," the woman said, her voice apologetic.

Jeonghan stared blankly at his phone before it fell out of his hand and bounced off the carpeted floor. He was speechless.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu came to stand in front of the brunette.

Jeonghan frantically kneeled down to retrieve his phone.

"There must be some mistake, how would that large of an amount suddenly go missing?!" Jeonghan's mind was beginning spiral.

"There was an investigative team here earlier, Jeonghan-shi. It said the last person to access our company funds was the CEO himself."

"Impossible, my old man's still bedridden, he can barely lift his own head," Mingyu countered.

"We need to head back, Mingyu," Jeonghan looked truly shaken. "We need to go back, now."

"Sh..." Mingyu hushed. "Breathe, Jeonghan-hyung, breathe."

"I don't understand," Jeonghan broke away from Mingyu. "This isn't something minuscule or benign, this isn't something I can fix with the click of my fingers, Mingyu."

"Hyung," Mingyu quickly whipped the brunette around by his wrist. "We'll figure this out together okay? We'll get everything sorted out."

"I don't understand," Jeonghan repeated, his words coming out thin.

"I'll find us a flight," Mingyu whispered words of assurance as he tried to calm his lover. "I'll find us a flight right now."

Jeonghan allowed Mingyu to hold him as he did his best to control his uneven breathing, for once in his life he was actually at a loss for words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter y'all. Just got back from my work trip and I just handed in my assessment for uni. I decided to be an online student so I could work full-time but now I rarely ever see my friends since I'm not on campus. You win some and you lose some, I guess. TTATT


	19. Accusations

Jeonghan sat to Mingyu's right as they waited for the whole board to show up at the meeting room. He'd called for an immediate meeting the minute they'd landed back in Seoul, it didn't matter that it had rolled over onto Saturday, Jeonghan was not going to wait until morning. Mingyu had stayed surprisingly calm during their flight back but Jeonghan knew the younger man was fuming. He'd seen Mingyu chewing on his lower lip so vigorously that the man drew blood, this was not something the younger man had ever dealt with. He'd been left in charge and suddenly their company lost all their money, Mingyu was definitely blaming himself.

"So," one of the executives cleared his throat. "Why have you called us all here?"

"Why?" Jeonghan scoffed. "You're asking why? Our company just lost forty billion won, how the fuck does that happen?!"

"You can't possibly be accusing us, are you Jeonghan-shi?" Another one of the executives narrowed his eyes. "I've been working at this company a lot longer than you have, I know where my loyalties lie."

"I'm not pinning the blame on anyone...yet," Jeonghan said. "I just find it funny that people who are so hellbent on making profit weren't the first ones to tell me about this. I found out through the CEO's secretary, don't you think that's a little odd?"

"We're busy people, Yoon Jeonghan," the same executive who was pushing for the venture into the western market leaned back in his chair. " You assume we did nothing while you were galavanting around in Japan."

"Galavanting? You think I've been fucking around?" Jeonghan gritted his teeth.

"Well, you haven't exactly been pulling your weight here at the office," the older man accused.

"That's a rather bold assumption coming from someone who hasn't shown their face at this office all week," Mingyu suddenly chimed in. "We've required your signature on three separate ocassions yet you were never in your office."

"Health issues are prevalent when you're in my age bracket, your father is in the same boat is he not?"

"You look perfectly fine to me," Mingyu frowned.

"Let's just cut to the chase, gentlemen," Jeonghan stood from his seat and began circling the table. "I'm going to make this clear, I don't trust any of you at this moment. I don't care about how long you've worked here or how loyal you claim to be to this company. To me those are just cheap words coming from even cheaper mouths. I've worked with you, I know what kind of shit you're all capable of and I know that monetary gain is your only initiative. The CEO hired you all knowing it would be risky but he did it because he knew you all could give results, he's been more than generous with his treatment and you all get a pretty hefty sum in your bank accounts every month."

The brunette came to stand at the other end of the table.

"I'm going to say this once," the brunette kept his composure, his eyes zeroed in on each of the ten older men. "We're going to find out who is responsible. You can either speak now or you get yourselves ready for the shit storm that's about to happen."

There was a deafening silence in the room. Jeonghan was met with several cold stares while the remaining few showed a slight sign of distress, there were a few drops of sweat and quivering pupils. Jeonghan smirked, he'd struck fear into the weaker ones, that was all he needed. You strike paranoia into at least one person and it will slowly infect another, it was a fear mongering tactic he'd learnt from Kim Sanghoon himself. Create discord in a group and slowly they'll turn on each other. Jeonghan just needed to wait.

"There are some rather severe penalties for those who are guilty of theft on this grand of a level," Jeonghan continued. "Jail isn't the best place for people your age, gentlemen. With most of you being so close to retirement I wouldn't want your resting place to be in a cell, not a great place to enjoy the rest of your days."

"We have nothing to hide," another executive said with a smug grin.

"The police are in the process of receiving search warrants, you'll be hearing from them shortly," Jeonghan headed back to his seat. "All projects are on hold, we're ceasing operations until this is solved."

"You do realise that we have places to be, don't you Jeonghan-shi?"

"That'll have to wait," Jeonghan said coldly. "I'm sorry if this debacle is hindering you from your pretentious weekend games of golf and squash but I really don't give a flying fuck."

"Be careful of your language when you're speaking to your seniors," one of the men sneered.

"I wish I could but I don't want to, " Jeonghan shot back, his favourite past time was challenging authority -- a dangerous hobby but a hobby none the less. "You're all dismissed, all are required to stay in Seoul until we get to the bottom of this."

"Good luck trying to find the culprit," one of the men taunted as he left.

Jeonghan gritted his teeth, his fist clenched inside the pocket of his trousers. Once he and Mingyu were left alone, Jeonghan loosened his tie and undid the top button on his shirt. He felt like he was going to burst into flames, he knew he worked among snakes but he never imagined they'd stage an actual Coup d'état against their own CEO. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a solution but his anger made it almost impossible to think straight.

"I can't believe this," Jeonghan shook his head. "They're conspiring with one another."

"They must've been planning this for a while," Mingyu said. "It can't be a coincidence, my dad gets hospitalized and suddenly our company loses this much money? It all points to foul play."

"We're dealing with some of the shadiest people in the business, they know how to cover their tracks," Jeonghan folded his arms over his chest. "I talked a big game just now but I honestly don't know what to do from here. I don't want your dad to come back to this mess."

"I don't get it," Mingyu started biting nervously at his thumb nail. "They've been with this company for so long, why're they acting up now?"

"Because the head honcho is missing in action," Jeonghan concluded. "They definitely don't respect me or you so of course they'd do it when the boss isn't around."

"Bad blood between you and them as well?" Mingyu asked.

"Let's just say they don't agree with my way of running the office," Jeonghan halted Mingyu from biting his nail. "Things have been rocky since I took over."

"How so?" Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"I suggested a pay raise for our employees as well as paid leave for new parents," Jeonghan replied. "They've hated me every time I mentioned anything that would take away from them pocketing extra cash. They wanted to spend as little on labour as possible and keep all the money within the top one percent -- the rich get richer and the rest work for practically peanuts. My push for changes in the office didn't sit well with our board since it didn't benefit them. I was a major downgrade from the last COO in their eyes."

"So you're the one who made the change to our employee salaries," Mingyu smiled fondly at his lover, for a moment he forgot about their fucked up situation.

"Happy employees are loyal employees," Jeonghan reasoned. "Give the people you lead good reason to stay and they'll happily follow orders, why do you think we had such a large growth in the last one and a half years?"

"I really like seeing this dominant side of you," Mingyu commented. "I like seeing the fire in your eyes."

"Come on, let's get out of here," Jeonghan ran a hand through his hair. "I'm exhausted and so are you, you're still recovering and all this stress isn't doing you any favours."

"You care about me that much?" Mingyu teased as Jeonghan held the door open.

"I'm in love with you, you palm tree," Jeonghan reminded the younger man. "I'm supposed to care."

"You know, as much as I hate the situation we're in I'm glad you're here with me," Mingyu reached down to intertwine their fingers. "Not because I want you to suffer with me but because you make me feel like everything's going to be okay. You're the problem solver, the brighter lightbulb, all the qualities that make a leader great."

"You've got me, Kim Mingyu," the brunette tightened his grip on Mingyu's hand. "You don't have to do any more chasing."

"I'm not saying these things just to kiss up to you, hyung," Mingyu bent down so their foreheads touched. "I mean every word, without you here I'd be like headless chicken. I was about to have an actual breakdown in that meeting room just now. You managed to stay calm and take control when I couldn't. Thank you for being here."

"Come on, we'll go back to my place tonight. I'll draw you a nice bath and feed you," Jeonghan tip-toed and gave Mingyu a gentle kiss on the lips. "I'm here for you."

* * *

 

Jeonghan rubbed his tired eyes as he sat alone in his living room. Despite his best efforts it was impossible for him to fall asleep. The brunette stood up and walked over to his bedroom, he leaned against the door frame and stared at a sleeping Mingyu sprawled out on the pastel blue sheets.  
The toned lines of the younger man's sunkissed body was a stark contrast against the light fabric. His lover looked so peaceful, it was a shame the younger man had to wake up to such a messed up reality. A part of him wanted Mingyu to stay asleep until everything was okay again, he didn't want to see his lover be crushed under any more weight.

As Jeonghan turned to head back to the living area, the door to Dokyeom's room opened. Jeonghan prepared to greet his sibling but was met with a sleep disheveled Lee Jihoon. The petite music producer wore baggy sweatpants with an equally loose t-shirt. His neck bore a purple mark that could only be identified as a hickey. Jeonghan's mouth hung open in shock.

"Ah fuck," Jihoon said as they looked at each other.

"Lee Jihoon," Jeonghan said in a curt tone.

"Hey, why'd you get up so early-" Dokyeom appeared from the darkness behind Jihoon before his eyes also fell on Jeonghan.

It was an awkward three person Mexican standoff.

"Good morning," Jeonghan simply said with a cocked brow, his eyes focusing on the bite marks on his younger brother's bare shoulders.

"Oh, hey Jeonghan-hyung," Dokyeom's pupils shook, he wasn't expecting his older brother to be back.

"Did you have fun last night?" Jeonghan didn't look amused.

"Hyung, let me explain," Dokyeom came to stand in front of Jihoon.

"You changed targets that quick? My younger brother no less, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Jeonghan directed his words at the musician.

"Look, you can hate me all you want but I can assure you that this isn't some revenge move because you didn't return my feelings," Jihoon stepped around Dokyeom. "I promise you."

"How long has this been going on?" Jeonghan demanded.

"That night you decided to go visit Mingyu's apartment," Dokyeom answered.

"So awhile," Jeonghan concluded.

"Yeah," Jihoon nodded. "We didn't know how to tell you or when to tell you but we definitely had intentions of making it known. You just weren't around, we could never find the right moment to do it. You've already got enough on your plate as it is."

"So you decided it would be better to just keep it a secret?"

"Yes," Dokyeom nodded timidly. "Sorry, hyung."

"I'm definitely not happy with either of you right now but as long as you're with each other for the right reasons then I won't stand in your way," Jeonghan said, he was surprisingly calm.

"What? Really?" Dokyeom's eyes bugged out of his skull, he wasn't expecting that.

"Normally I'd have a lot more to say but right now I have a lot of shit to deal with," Jeonghan massaged his temples. "All of my remaining brain cells are working overtime and I don't need another problem to add to my list."

"What's wrong? Something happening at work?" Jihoon frowned.

"We just lost forty billion won, Jihoon," Jeonghan answered.

"Lost?! How the fuck do you lose that amount of money?!" Jihoon shouted, he was an investor in 'RQ&S' -- the company loses money, so does he.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Jeonghan replied. "Right now all the fingers point toward our board of executives, those snakes have done something behind the scenes and I need to figure out how and why they did it."

"Those old fucks," Jihoon sneered, he never liked them.

"They're definitely planning something, I just don't know what they're intending to do," Jeonghan started chewing on his lip.

"You sure Mingyu's not in on it?" Jihoon looked over at the brunette.

"What?" Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

"Are you sure Mingyu's not a part of their little scheme?"

"If you're trying to accuse my boyfriend of conspiring against me, you better knock that thought right out of your head, Lee Jihoon."

"I'm not trying to accuse him, I just think you should look into every possible avenue," Jihoon put both hands up in defense.

"Hyung, I think Jihoon-hyung has a point," Dokyeom butted in. "I mean, the guy's father's in hospital, he's left in charge and then magically there's forty billion won missing, that's suspicious."

"I don't want to hear anything more from either of you," Jeonghan eyed the two men. "I'm going to go back to my room and when I come back out I expect you two to keep your mouths shut about Mingyu. I trust him and if he says he's innocent then I believe him."

Jeonghan turned his back toward his younger brother and Jihoon before heading back in the direction of his room. He shut the door behind him and rested his head against the cold wood, he allowed himself to slide down onto the floor. The brunette landed on the carpet with a dull thud. He wasn't ready to face reality, he really wasn't.

"Come back to bed," Mingyu's low voice suddenly whispered.

The brunette looked up to see Mingyu kneeled in front of him. The younger man wasn't wearing a shirt, just loose pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips. Jeonghan gave his lover a weak smile as he pulled himself up. He allowed himself to be directed over to the bed where he was lifted to straddle Mingyu's lap. Mingyu felt warm like a safety blanket, something that made Jeonghan feel like he wasn't alone.

"You believe in me that much?" Mingyu asked as he held the brunette.

"You overheard it," Jeonghan concluded.

"Yeah," Mingyu confirmed.

"I'm unsure of a lot of things right now but I know for a fact that I can trust you," Jeonghan's hand slid up onto Mingyu's nape, his fingers playing with the strand of dark hair.

"You mean that?" Mingyu's hands clutched desperately at Jeonghan's waist.

"I do," Jeonghan leaned back so they were at eye level with one another.

"What if they're planning on framing us for this, Jeonghan?" Mingyu swallowed. "What if they're planning on pinning this on us?"

"I'll find a way to clear our names, Mingyu," Jeonghan assured. "I just need you to trust me as well."

"I do," Mingyu nodded. "I trust you more than I trust myself."

"Then let's make a promise right now," Jeonghan stroked Mingyu's cheek. "No matter what happens after we leave this room, we'll only believe the words that leave each other's mouths. We only believe each other, not what people tell us, agreed?"

"Agreed," Mingyu nodded his approval.

"All I wanted to do was take it easy and have breakfast in bed with my boyfriend, apparently that's too much to ask of the universe," Jeonghan let out a bitter laugh.

"All I've done is give you grief after entering your life," Mingyu looked so very apologetic.

"On the contrary, Kim Mingyu. My life was a never-ending cycle of mediocrity until you came along," Jeonghan shook his head in disagreement. "I was very much a blank canvas slowly gathering dust. You brought colour back into my world, I'll forever be grateful for that. You were the vibrant paint strokes that I never knew I needed."

"Is that so?" Mingyu's good hand brushed over Jeonghan's cheek.

Jeonghan nodded.

"If you keep saying things like that I'll never want to leave this room," Mingyu leaned in so their breath mingled.

"Good," Jeonghan whispered against the seam of his lover's lips.

* * *

 

Walking into the office was a strange experience, not because it was empty but more so because there were a bunch of unfamiliar faces that were scattered around and inside the CEO's office. Jeonghan frowned seeing the investigation people rummage through his desk and snoop around on his laptop but he kept his mouth shut. They had a search warrant, they were allowed to be nosy -- that didn't mean he had to like it. Mingyu gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder as they stood side by side.

"Look, I don't want to do this either but this isn't something to be taken lightly," the head of investigations said. "If you two know anything it's easier to just confess before you get in any more trouble. You might find yourselves facing harsher penalties the more you withhold from us."

"Are you trying to insinuate that we had something to do with this?" Mingyu narrowed his eyes.

"You're both rather close to the CEO according to our research," the investigator continued. "You're Kim Sanghoon's only son and Yoon Jeonghan, you're practically his right arm at this company."

"You think I'd actually steal from my own father's company? That's fucking stupid," Mingyu gritted his teeth.

"You haven't exactly had the best relationship with him according to the people we've interviewed and I also found out he recently let go of your lover, that's you Yoon Jeonghan-shi," the investigator pointed his pen over at Jeonghan to make it even more obvious.

"That was a while ago, he and I already resolved our differences regarding that issue," Jeonghan defended. "You can ask the man himself."

"Why are you only focusing on us specifically? There are plenty of suspicious characters who walk these halls, sir," Mingyu was doing his best to stay calm, he hated the way they were ready to point fingers.

"Because you two are the only ones who've had the most frequent issues with the CEO. All the patterns don't paint you favourably, Kim Mingyu. You're suddenly hired by your father, you're constantly having arguments with the man and suddenly he falls ill making you the CEO by default. On top of that a massive sum suddenly goes missing from your company funds. That's a lot of coincidences, Kim Mingyu."

"I get it, my position here at the company happened in a very unconventional manner but I assure you I haven't and never had any intention of conspiring against my dad for money," Mingyu was adamant. "I have a healthy bank account, why the fuck would I risk my reputation for money I don't need?"

"Maybe because you were made to do it by someone who does need the money," the investigator eyed Jeonghan who stood to Mingyu's side.

Mingyu's lip curled over his teeth, his canines flashed angrily.

"You better not be accusing Jeonghan of masterminding this," Mingyu's words came out curt.

"All fingers are pointing in your direction, I'm sorry to say but I'm just going off of all the evidence we've gathered so far. You're our main suspects as of this current moment."

"Sir, we've found something," an older woman in her late thirties walked out of Mingyu's office.

The head of investigation followed the woman back into Mingyu's office. Jeonghan and Mingyu trailed right behind. The brunette's hand clamped around his lover's bicep as they watched the two investigators stare at something on the computer screen. The head investigator's eyes panned back over to Mingyu with a frown.

"Did you open an offshore account recently, Kim Mingyu-shi?"

"No, why would I need to do that?" Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"Because increments of one billion won has consistently been wired into this account dating from the day you took over your father's position," the investigator gave Mingyu a cold look.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," the blood drained from Mingyu's face.

"We're going to need to take you in for questioning, Kim Mingyu-shi," the older man began closing in on Mingyu.

"This is obviously a setup," Jeonghan stepped in front of his lover. "You need to look into this further before you make an arrest, you can't just go on this alone!"

"I'm just following protocol, Jeonghan-shi, now please step aside and let us do our job."

Jeonghan started to argue but he felt Mingyu's hand on his wrist. The brunette whipped around to look frantically at the taller man.

"It's okay, I have nothing to hide," Mingyu reassured. "I know I didn't do anything wrong, I just have to answer their questions."

"But-"

"Get the lawyers ready," Mingyu whispered in Jeonghan's ear.

"I will," Jeonghan reluctantly agreed, his hand lingered in Mingyu's for a split second before he let go.

"They're going to call you in for questioning as well, get all the help you possibly can before then," Mingyu said. "We're going to be sitting ducks if we don't start building our case."

"Got it," Jeonghan nodded.

"I trust you," Mingyu reminded.

"I trust you even more," Jeonghan added as Mingyu was escorted out of the office.

Once he was alone Jeonghan pulled out his phone and called for Wonwoo.

"Hello?"

"You've heard about what happened right?" Jeonghan immediately asked.

"This is bad, Jeonghan," Wonwoo's low voice sighed.

"I'm going to need your computer skills," Jeonghan ran a hand through his hair, he'd never felt so anxious. "We may need to do some illegal stuff."

"I never claimed to be a law abiding citizen," Wonwoo's tone was resolute.

"I'll come over in twenty minutes, get as much dirt as you can on all of our executives starting from the beginning of this year," Jeonghan ordered. "I need to know everything they've done, their email exchange, who they've contacted and any abnormal activity."

"I can't do all of that on my own but I know plenty of employees at 'RQ&S' who can give me that info," Wonwoo informed.

"We have moles in the company?"

"More like mistreated employees who would relish in seeing our dear higher-ups be taken down a few pegs."

"Then tell them this," Jeonghan said as he got into the elevator. "If we manage to clear Mingyu's name then everyone involved will get a hefty bonus and paid leave for a solid three months, hell, even a promotion -- I'm feeling generous."

"That truly is generous," Wonwoo acknowledged.

"The things you do for love," Jeonghan simply said, it was meant to be said in jest but in that moment he didn't know if he was truly convinced it was.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Wonwoo prodded.

"Enough to throw away my ego and ask for help," Jeonghan answered.

"I'll buzz you in when you arrive," Wonwoo said before hanging up.

Jeonghan stared at his phone as the doors of the elevator opened. He stepped out of the lobby with only one goal on his mind. He needed to go clear Mingyu's name. It didn't matter how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!~ 
> 
> It's that time of the semester where my final exams and major assessments are due -- plus my job to top it off. You probably won't be getting an update from me for around two weeks. When I come back I'll probably do a double upload so you get two chapters instead of one. 
> 
> I hope y'all are doing okay and I hope everyone enjoys themselves at Ideal Cut in KL coming up.
> 
> I'm actually stocking up on potential ideas to write about in the future so if you have any prompts or plots you'd like to see just shoot me a DM on Twitter, it's @Hikariyukix if you didn't already know. I'll add it into my notes and I might just write something based on your prompt if I can plan out a thorough storyline. 
> 
> Wait for me!~ TTATT I will return in two weeks!~ definitely not abandoning this work, just being crushed under university obligations.


	20. A Tough Spot

"Jeonghan-hyung, slouching is bad for your back," Siwoo commented as he sat next to the older man at the dining table.

"Sorry, bud," Jeonghan straightened his back.

"You look like death rolled over," Wonwoo said as he brought over a cup of tea for Jeonghan and bowl of sliced fruit for his son.

"I'm aware," Jeonghan sighed.

"They said all the money was wired into an offshore account, right?"

"Yeah."

"That's literally the worst way of stealing money, they probably teach you that in 'Embezzlement 101,'" Wonwoo sat down at the table and opened his laptop. "Any sums that big being deducted so frequently would automatically look suspicious when wired out of a company account," Wonwoo furrowed his brow.

"That's exactly my point, no one with half a brain would execute a plan this stupid," Jeonghan let out a long breath, he was trying very hard to calm himself. "Whoever was in charge of this scheme is making it look like amateur work, they're making it seem like it was done by someone with zero experience."

"So they're purposely diverting the attention from themselves and making Mingyu the scapegoat," Wonwoo concluded.

"Exactly," Jeonghan nodded.

"I managed to get you some dirt," Wonwoo changed the subject seeing his friend's more than gloomy disposition, the brunette needed some sort of good news. "Let's just say you're right about your impression of our dear board."

"We can skip past the minor white collar bullshit, I need something incriminating," Jeonghan waved his hand impatiently.

"Does Ryu Hyunjin sound familiar?" Wonwoo looked over at Jeonghan.

"The previous COO," Jeonghan nodded.

"Well, the executive whose been pushing for the western market venture, Lee Sungho, has been consistently having his assistant send private emails to the previous COO."

Jeonghan continued listening.

"Most of the emails from first glance just look like an exchange of pleasantries but the subject line for every email always contains a bunch of numbers," Wonwoo turned the screen over toward the brunette. "Does this mean anything to you?"

"It's the date just before Mingyu started at 'RQ&S,' aside from that it doesn't mean anything else," Jeonghan replied. "All the other emails are pretty much just dates as well."

"Could it be a countdown?" Wonwoo pondered. "The first six digits represent the date but what are those extra two numbers?"

Jeonghan started biting at the skin of his lower lip. Wonwoo was definitely onto something.

"Show me the most recent one," Jeonghan demanded.

Wonwoo did as asked.

"I think you're right," Jeonghan felt his stomach flop. "The most recent one was sent the night Mingyu flew out to visit me in Tokyo. They've been waiting for the right time."

"You think the CEO's heart attack was the trigger for them to start all this?"

"It couldn't be anything else, I mean, the head of the company's out of the picture. It was the perfect time, the countdown dropped several numbers," Jeonghan nodded. "Without the actual CEO at the reigns they don't have anything to fear, Mingyu holds no authority in their eyes, he's still young and he sure as Hell isn't aware of how much power he has -- who knows what kind of things they've approved without Mingyu's permission."

"Plus you've been in Japan most of this, you probably haven't seen firsthand the stuff that's been swept under the rug," Wonwoo added.

"Oh fuck!" Jeonghan slammed his hand on the table, Siwoo jumped dropping his slice of mango.

Jeonghan immediately stroked the four year old's head. "Sorry bud, I'll buy you a whole box of mangos."

"It's okay," Siwoo continued to eat quietly, his eyes were intently looking at the adults despite not understanding a single thing.

"The mess ups in Japan," Jeonghan said. "It all makes fucking sense now! They wanted me out of the country long enough so I didn't see any of the shady shit they were pulling behind the scenes! Our shipments have never had issues passing customs in the past. We've sent stock over to Japan via freight in the past when we set up pop-up stores in Tokyo, everything ran smoothly. Problems only started when Mingyu came along."

"Those backstabbing bastards," Wonwoo shook his head.

"Even the launch party, they practically hired clowns to run the Japanese branch," Jeonghan started pacing back and forth.

"Where's Mingyu at? Shouldn't he be here with us?" Wonwoo asked.

"He's been taken in for questioning," Jeonghan replied. "They'll let him go after interrogation but even then he'll probably have the investigators watching him like a hawk. If we do anything out of the ordinary they're going to think we're up to something."

"The cards aren't exactly in your favour right now, are they?" Wonwoo guessed.

"Not at all," Jeonghan shook his head.

"You've gotten yourself out of deep shit multiple times in the past, Yoon Jeonghan," Wonwoo came to pat his friend's shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay."

Jeonghan gave a single nod, the fact that both Mingyu and Wonwoo had so much faith in him was reassuring but it also put him in a hard place. He thought of himself as a rather good problem solver but this time he wasn't so confident, it was him against the people who taught him everything he knew.

* * *

 

Mingyu sat back on his sofa and let out a long breath. His back was killing him, he'd sat in a garish florescent lighted room for hours while answering questions back to back. It didn't feel all too good being treated like a criminal but he had to remind himself that it was just protocol. He'd stayed calm and he'd answered every enquiry with as much detail as possible. The two investigators who interviewed him didn't give anything away from their expressions or their mannerisms -- Mingyu just hoped that his alibi was solid enough evidence to be ruled out as a suspect.

As he stood to go pour himself some water, his phone rang in his back pocket. It was Jeonghan.

"Hello?" Mingyu answered on the second ring.

"Are you okay? How'd it go? They didn't force you to admitting to anything, did they?" Jeonghan sounded high-strung.

"No, just routine interrogation, hyung," Mingyu felt a slight smile twitch on his lips, the brunette's concern made him feel a little better. "They let me go after two hours."

"I'm doing the best I can to get this figured out, okay? It's a lot harder than I originally thought but I'll definitely work it out, Mingyu-yah," Jeonghan promised his lover.

"I want to see you," Mingyu suddenly whispered.

"I do too but we should keep to ourselves for a little while," Jeonghan said apologetically. "We don't want to look suspicious, they're probably watching our every move right now -- and by them I don't mean the police."

"You think those old bastards have people watching us?"

"Highly likely," Jeonghan replied. "They've got the upper hand right now."

"I don't want to just sit around and do nothing, hyung," Mingyu huffed.

"I know you don't but you can't do anything that might make you look suspicious," Jeonghan said. "You still trust me right?"

"Of course I do," Mingyu nodded despite Jeonghan not being there to see it.

"Remember those words, Kim Mingyu," Jeonghan suddenly became very serious. "Remember those words you just uttered, from here on out you have to remember that whatever happens you have to trust me through all of it, alright?"

"You're making me nervous," Mingyu swallowed. "What are you planning?"

"I don't have a plan, Mingyu," Jeonghan admitted. "I just need you to trust me, I promise I'm on your side -- don't let anyone plant a seed of doubt in you, especially not now."

"I trust you," Mingyu responded.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Jeonghan said.

"I'm already missing you," Mingyu sighed.

"You're not alone," Jeonghan said with a sad smile.

"Sleep well, hyung."

"You too, Mingyu-yah."

There was a long silence between them before Jeonghan took the initiative and hung up. He'd always made fun of those couples who refused to hang up before their significant other but here he was having trouble doing exactly that. The most embarrassing thing was his heart beating like a jackhammer just hearing Mingyu's voice, sure he'd felt his heart flutter because of the younger man in the past but now it was different. Rather than a flutter it felt like his chest was too small for his heart, it ached almost -- it was all so cliché but it was an accurate description of his feelings for Mingyu. He'd fallen deep, so deep yet he didn't want to resurface. He was fine with drifting down even further in to the murky depths that was Kim Mingyu.

* * *

 

Fired. Jeonghan just got fired. Un-fucking-believable.

Jeonghan dropped his phone onto the kitchen counter and rubbed his tired eyes. He knew the old bastards were ruthless but he didn't think they'd be so quick to get rid of him. To add insult to injury, he wasn't even allowed to step foot inside the office to retrieve his belongings. The useless brute, Ryu Hyunjin, had been reinstated effective immediately, Jeonghan was fuming -- the sort of anger that made his blood boil and made his vision turn red. The brunette massaged his temples as he leaned against the sink, he was back to having nothing -- again.

That was when his phone started ringing, the device vibrated idly on the counter for several seconds. Jeonghan decided to pick up since the ringing didn't stop. It was a private number.

"Hello?" Jeonghan answered cautiously.

"Yoon Jeonghan," the raspy voice on the other end greeted.

"What do you want?" Jeonghan asked coldly, he recognized that toad-like voice anywhere -- Ryu Hyunjin had a very disinct voice.

"I can tell you aren't in the best mood."

"You think?" Jeonghan tried to hold back the venom in his words.

"I know you must be feeling some type of way about all of this but you have to see it from my side too, Jeonghan," the older man said.

"See what? That you've backstabbed the man you helped you get to where you are while he's in hospital?" Jeonghan asked.

"If you had an opportunity to seize an entire company, you'd take it as well, wouldn't you?" Hyunjin questioned the brunette. "I was just as much a part of this company's success as our dear Kim Sanghoon. He and I built 'RQ&S' from the ground up, you can imagine the betrayal I felt when I was suddenly thrown away out of the blue, don't you?"

"Why are you telling me all of this? What are you trying to gain?" Jeonghan narrowed his eyes.

"I just think you and I have much in common," Hyunjin continued. "We're both alpha males who were given beta level positions. We both enjoy being at the very top of the food chain and we have a similar objective of maintaining a healthy bank account."

"I still don't see what you're trying to get at," Jeonghan said.

"Join me, Yoon Jeonghan," Hyunjin finally propositioned. "You and I were such a good duo."

Jeonghan felt his eye twitch, they were never a two man show. The man did nothing, it was Jeonghan who shouldered the workload.

"There are plenty of people who are capable of doing my job," Jeonghan retorted. "Find them."

"I beg you to reconsider, Jeonghan," Hyunjin pushed. "I guarantee you that you're going to like how I run things a whole lot more than Kim Sanghoon or his incompetent son."

Jeonghan felt his eye twitch again, the man was delusional -- also, Mingyu wasn't incompetent.

"Really?" Jeonghan took a breath and remained calm, he wanted to milk the man for more information.

The cogs in Jeonghan's brain began to turn, he'd originally planned on blackmail through third party assistance but now he had another way in -- right through the front door. The brunette felt the side of his mouth pull into a smug grin as he straightened his back to extend his full height. After working so many customer service jobs as an undergraduate, Jeonghan had the art of lying down to a fine art. He put on his customer service voice and lied through his teeth.

"What kind of promises can you make for me?" Jeonghan asked. "I'm loyal but loyalties can always change."

"Ah," Hyunjin chuckled. "That's more like it, I knew you'd come to your senses. Be a part of the winning team, my boy."

Jeonghan rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to expand on my proposal, perhaps over dinner," Hyunjin's voice got slightly lower.

Jeonghan wanted to vomit but he quickly slapped himself, he needed to get past the man's defenses.

"I'm interested," Jeonghan said despite feeling his stomach turn.

"Then I'll have my assistant contact you with a time and location," Hyunjin said before he hung up.

Jeonghan immediately felt a rush of adrenaline filter through his system. He called up Wonwoo immediately.

"What's up?" Wonwoo asked

"I'm in," Jeonghan simply said.

"In? In what?" Wonwoo was confused.

"I'll explain in the morning," Jeonghan said to his friend.

"Alright?" Wonwoo still didn't know what was happening but he trusted Jeonghan.

The brunette hung up with a triumphant look on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all!~ I know I promised to churn out two chapters after my 2 week break but things have come up so l can only provide one. Why you ask? What's come up???
> 
> Well...I'M FLYING OVER TO SOUTH KOREA!~ THAT'S RIGHT, YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE GYUHAN SHIPPER IS GOING TO SEE SVT IN CONCERT!~
> 
> It was a genuinely rushed decision on my part and I planned on going alone but a quick search on Twitter lead me to a lovely carat from Russia who was looking for a travel buddy to share accommodation costs. I'll be diligently looking out for gyuhan moments and catch it on camera y'all. I'll be your gyuhan moment correspondent. If you're also in Seoul then let me know!~ I'll be handing out little candy pouches on the day of the concerts!~ ♡♡♡♡
> 
> Also, I spent my day just saving pictures of Jeonghan from every happy birthday post. I sometimes forget how many times he's changed physically over the years. The man is a chameleon. Can we also just talk about the sexy porno music filter Mingyu used in his instastory for Jeonghan's Birthday celebration? Boi, out of all the filters you chose that one.


	21. Infiltration

Mingyu sat behind the wheel of his car as he bit away at the nails of his left hand. He was thankful that he'd broken his non-dominant hand because it meant he could still drive -- it still wasn't exactly safe to driving with one functioning arm but Mingyu couldn't care less. He'd parked just outside of Jeonghan's apartment despite the brunette's orders to keep their distance, he didn't want to stay apart -- it just didn't feel right. Mingyu mentally prepared himself as he thought about how he was going to announce arrival -- he knew the brunette wasn't going to be happy about him showing up so unexpectedly but he also knew that Jeonghan missed him just as much. Before he could even step out of the car, Jeonghan appeared from inside the resident parking lot -- he was going somewhere.

Mingyu swallowed, he was suddenly very nervous. Jeonghan never went out on Thursday nights, that was odd. Before he realized what he was doing, Mingyu was already tailing behind his lover. Mingyu kept a good distance and silenced the voice in his head that told him he was being a bad boyfriend. He wanted to know, something just didn't sit well in his stomach. He followed the brunette's car into the city and watched as the man's figure retreat inside a rather expensive looking restaurant. This situation was all too familiar, he was having flashbacks to that night he'd followed Jeonghan when he met up with Jihoon. He really didn't want Jeonghan to get mad but at the same time he was so very curious as to why a home body like Jeonghan decided to make dinner plans on a Thursday night -- especially when they were both in such hot water.

"What are you doing, hyung?" Mingyu muttered as he tapped his thumb against the steering wheel.

* * *

 

Jeonghan gritted his teeth, bit back his pride and smiled when he caught sight of a rather plump Ryu Hyunjin as he was directed into a private dining area. The brunette took a seat opposite the older man and felt himself immediately feel ill when the filthy swine shook his hand and refused to let go immediately. Jeonghan stared at his own palm in disdain -- he was going to need to soak it in bleach when he got home. Hyunjin stared at him with a look that could make even the hardest of men feel uncomfortable.

"It's been so long, it's good to know you still look so..." the greasy bastard swallowed. "Dashing."

"You're too kind," Jeonghan put on another fake smile -- the exact one he used at every other business event.

"So," Hyunjin held up his menu. "I heard you've been filling my shoes these past two years and doing one Hell of a good job."

"I got fired, sir," Jeonghan cocked a brow. "I obviously didn't do a very good job if the whole board unanimously decided to have me terminated."

"Oh don't be so despondent," Hyunjin waved his fat hand.

"Shall we get down to business?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"You've been working for Sanghoon so long that you're starting to sound like him," Hyunjin commented.

"Does that bother you?"

"It can be fixed," Hyunjin said, his eyes wandering over Jeonghan's face before landing on the brunette's shirt.

Jeonghan followed the older man's gaze.

"Powder blue silk? Floral embroidery? Your taste has changed rather drastically since we last met," Hyunjin said.

"It was a gift," Jeonghan said, his hand touching the smooth fabric of the sleeve.

"Of course, you would never choose something so...garish on your own," Hyunjin's words made Jeonghan grind his teeth -- he took full offence.

"Your proposition, I want to hear more," Jeonghan shook off his annoyance, he needed to keep his eyes on the prize. "So far all I've heard are promises but no actual plan of action. I don't like being in the dark, how do I even know I can trust you?"

"I'm going to be very honest with you, Yoon Jeonghan," Hyunjin said as a waiter brought over a bottle of wine and poured a glass for both of them.

Jeonghan waited.

"Your professional capabilities aren't the only thing I'm after," Hyunjin swirled his glass of wine.

Jeonghan immediately started eyeing the toad in front of him from his nonexistent hairline to the lump of raw beef that he called a pair of lips. Jeonghan was disgusted. The brunette didn't have anything against people who weren't considered traditionally attractive but the man in front of him was just not pleasant to look at or even be around. Throw in the older man's questionable work ethic and you're basically left with a dud.

"I'm not an escort, sir," Jeonghan said with a straight face.

"I'm we'll aware of that, Jeonghan," Hyunjin replied as he down his wine. "Rather than an escort I'd like you to be someone of a more respectable title."

"What kind of title would that be exactly?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"A lover, someone who can be my right hand in the office and tend to my...other needs when we're outside the office."

Jeonghan felt his eye twitch, the man wanted to groom him. Disgusting. Jeonghan composed himself yet again, he needed to play dumb, he needed to get past the toad's defenses. He needed to earn the man's trust before he could start digging for more information. He reached for the wine bottle and poured the older man a more tha generous amount and gave his best seductive smile.

"I feel like we need to get to know each other better before I can agree to anything," Jeonghan winked.

"Of course," Hyunjin fell for the bait.

Kim Sanghoon had taught Jeonghan a very valuable lesson when he first became the COO. Men were carnal creatures at their very core, pertaining that you have what they desperately desire, you can lead them to do whatever you want. It was a very well known method used by historical female figures to manipulate men in order to climb up the hierarchy. It was a simple trick but an effective one -- Jeonghan was coincidentally very good at it. All he needed to do was continue getting the man to drink and stroke his ego.

"So, I've heard you've been playing babysitter for Sanghoon's kid," Hyunjin looked over at the brunette.

"Correct."

"I've also heard you've gotten rather close over the past few months," Hyunjin added.

"Of course, I can't exactly treat him like a proper employee with his father breathing down my neck," Jeonghan lied.

"A-class nepotism, I'm not even the least surprised," Hyunjin scoffed as he again took another sip if wine, his speech began to slur -- perfect.

"What's the plan, boss?" Jeonghan pushed. "What kind of new direction are you taking the company?"

"Good question," Hyunjin pointed a finger at the brunette. "As you already know, we've always been recognised as a more affordable fashion brand but I think it's time we start to caring more about our profits, we have the loyal customer base -- we just need to raise the price of our product and make a whole lot more of it."

"We have a premium collection, sir," Jeonghan furrowed his brow.

They already had a more expensive option in their repertoire of clothing lines, raising the price would just create discord in their consumer base -- again, their audience were young people, young people who don't like hefty price tags.

"Yes but just think of the extra money in your pockets, Jeonghan," Hyunjin argued. "The manufacturers we have now as great as they are cost far too much, we could outsource to more affordable options and pocket the difference. There is so much room to increase our marginal profit."

"Sir, we choose to be ethical with who we outsource to, our core textile manufacturers and sorting facilities have been with us since the very beginning. We can't just drop them so suddenly, they've been the very backbone of our company's success."

"Come on, Jeonghan. You know better than anyone how cruel this industry is, money has and always will be the driving factor for us," Hyunjin argued. "What Sanghoon never managed to fully comprehend how far he could take this company, he cares far too much about loyalties and reputation -- I dare say he failed because he wasn't willing to take risks. He has so much power yet he didn't take full advantage of it."

Jeonghan took a calming breath, he had to play along, it was bothering him to no end but he had to keep up the façade or else all his efforts so far would've been for nothing. Jeonghan eyed the older man's phone on the table, he needed to get his hands on it. Without a doubt that little device could tell him more about the bigger picture -- he knew the man wasn't telling him everything.

"Jeonghan, you do see what I'm trying to do, don't you?" Hyunjin questioned.

"Burn some bridges, make new ones, bigger and better ones," Jeonghan nodded.

"I knew you were a smart boy," Hyunjin smiled.

Jeonghan didn't like how the man referred to him as 'boy,' whereas Sanghoon used the word in a familial context, Hyunjin made it sound perverted.

"I'm in," Jeonghan raised his glass, his expression giving nothing away.

"Welcome to the winning team, Yoon Jeonghan," Hyunjin clinked his glass against the brunette's.

Jeonghan raised the glass to his lips but didn't drink a single drop, he watched as the older man in front of him downed yet another full glass -- just one more glass of something more potent and he'd be able to put his plan into action. Hyunjin wasn't stupid but one thing Jeonghan knew about the man was a lightweight when it came to drinking and that the man had a weakness for a pretty face. Those were two things he could fully take advantage of.

* * *

 

Mingyu winced, he looked down at the nail he'd been biting on to find it bleeding -- he'd bitten too far. He knew that Jeonghan wasn't in the wrong for going out to dinner on a Thursday night and he knew it wasn't out of the ordinary to make plans without him but...he was still very much on edge. He didn't want to be seen as the crazy jealous boyfriend, not again but...he couldn't help himself. He didn't want Jeonghan to get angry but he also wasn't in the best frame of mind. There was just so much happening and trusting someone was so fucking difficult when it seemed like the whole world was against you.

Mingyu rubbed a hand over his face and yawned, he needed some rest. Yes, rest, that's what he should be doing. Just as he was about to turn on the ignition, his eyes focused on Jeonghan's figure as his lover exited the restaurant...with an older man's arm draped around his shoulders -- it was the old COO. What the fuck? Mingyu took his hand away from his car keys and watched in bewildered silence as Jeonghan slipped the older man's limp body into the backseat seat of his car. Mingyu immediately got out his phone and called the brunette.

"Hello?" Jeonghan picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, where are you right now?" Mingyu asked, he swallowed as he waited for an answer.

"I'm at home, why?" Jeonghan answered.

"Oh," Mingyu frowned as he watched his lover pace back and forth on the other side of the road.

"Why'd you ask?" Jeonghan sounded a little tense.

"Just curious," Mingyu said. "You know, you look good in that shirt I got you."

"What?" Jeonghan asked.

Mingyu turned on his headlights, Jeonghan's eyed widened as he saw his lover behind the driver's seat.

"Mingyu, let me explain," Jeonghan began walking over to his lover's car.

"Explain what, Jeonghan? Explain to me why you're here with the man who backstabbed me and my dad, explain to me why you're with the man who fucking started all this bullshit!"

Mingyu reversed out of his parking spot and sped down the road leaving a despondent Jeonghan standing alone in the middle of the road. Jeonghan wanted to jump in his car and chase after the younger man but he had to remember the bigger issue. He looked back over his shoulder at an unconscious Ryu Hyunjin and narrowed his eyes. If he didn't get the information he needed than all of this would've been for nothing. He climbed into his car and started the engine, he'd explain everything later to his lover.

"Jeonghan..." Hyunjin slurred his name from the backseat.

"Just taking you home, sir," Jeonghan said looking at the man through his rearview mirror.

"Stay the night, Jeonghan," Hyunjin said between heavy breaths. "Keep me...company."

"We'll see about that, sir," Jeonghan tried his best to keep from vomiting -- the thought of the man touching him made him nauseous.

Jeonghan continued to drive, he took out his phone and dialled Wonwoo. His friend picked up well after the eighth ring, the Head of Public Relations sounded disoriented. He'd obviously been sleeping.

"Hello?" Wonwoo's sleepy voice was several octaves lower than normal.

"I need you to come out and meet me," Jeonghan said bluntly. "As in right now."

"Now? It's the middle of the night," Wonwoo yawned.

"I've got Ryu Hyunjin in my backseat and I need you to get everything off his phone," Jeonghan looked back to make sure the older man was still unconscious.

"What the fuck? How'd you manage that? You didn't kidnap him, did you?" Wonwoo sounded a lot more awake.

"Of course not, I may have a questionable moral compass but I'm not insane," Jeonghan replied. "He offered to give me back my position at the company under his jurisdiction, I played along and said I was interested. I got him drunk and had him spill some info, I just need someone who can duplicate the old bastards phone so we can keep tabs on him."

"I'm leaving now, where are we meeting?" The sound of jingling keys was audible from Wonwoo's end.

"The Han River, there's a parking lot down south and I'm positive that there are no cameras, we can get everything done there without prying eyes," Jeonghan answered.

"You sneaky bastard," Wonwoo chuckled.

"I'll see you there," Jeonghan said before he hung up.

This wasn't the first time Jeonghan had gotten his hands dirty. Probably wasn't going to be his last either. The brunette looked down at his phone's lockscreen and frowned, the image of him and Mingyu smiling together stared back at him. He wanted to call his lover but there was just too much he had to do. With a tired breath he continued driving, Mingyu could hate him for time being -- he needed to gather evidence to plead his case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double upload y'all!~ I've booked my flights, received my SVT concert tickets in the mail and just one more end of semester presentation to go before I can go on my trip to Seoul! I'll probably use my layover to write so you won't get too much of a long wait for the next chapter. Hope y'all are doing okay! I'll definitely share any gyuhan moments I see at the concert!~


	22. Evidence

Mingyu stared blankly out the window as he sat inside his apartment. He hadn't left the confines of his home in five days, he wasn't shaven and the lack sleep was turning his undereyes an unhealthy shade of purple. He wasn't under house arrest but he definitely felt like he was. The investigation regarding the stolen money had only gotten more complicated. There was information being thrown left and right from all kinds of people claiming they knew the truth -- the discourse was causing major delays in the case and there was nothing the investigators could do. They had to take every tip seriously even if it wasn't true, Hyunjin was doing his best to hide the trail leading back to him and falsifying information.

Mingyu flicked through his phone and sighed when he saw that there was still nothing, Jeonghan hadn't contacted him in five days. On the other hand he'd called Jeonghan forty-five times and each one never got an answer, that was a lot of missed calls. He knew he didn't know the full narrative but was it unreasonable of him to be suspicious when the brunette was behaving so strange? How was he supposed to think rationally when Jeonghan was so...distant?

A knock on Mingyu's front door made him jump.

Mingyu walked over to the door and looked into the intercom, the small screen showed a blank faced Xu Minghao standing with his arms folded, the artist tapped his foot waiting for his friend to open the door. Mingyu obliged. The artist walked right by him and sat down on the sofa inside the living room.

"The gossip surrounding you and 'RQ&S' is all everyone can talk about," Minghao informed. "Everyone is throwing in their two cents. Some think you're guilty and others think it's all an elaborate plan from Hyunjin and the board. All the evidence still leads back to you, though."

"They've planned this in advance, of course all the arrows are pointed at me," Mingyu scoffed.

"At least you still have Jeonghan right?" Minghao patted his friend's shoulder as he sat down beside him.

Mingyu was silent.

"What happened now?" Minghao furrowed his brow seeing the obvious disdain on Mingyu's face.

"Jeonghan was with Hyunjin," Mingyu said. "I saw them leaving a restaurant together, they looked a little too chummy when they were together."

"Did you ask him for an explanation?" Minghao cocked a brow.

"Well...no," Mingyu answered.

"Look, I know what you saw was pretty incriminating but right now you don't exactly want to push him away without hearing him out first," Minghao adjusted his yellow tinted glasses. "What if he's planning something? You know what he's capable of, don't you?"

"I just..." Mingyu started biting his nail. "He's all I have left at the company, my dad can barely lift his own head right now. The doctors keep finding more and more things wrong with him because the old brute refused to visit a doctor all these years because he thinks he's invincible. Jeonghan is literally the only person who thought I was innocent -- what if he changed his mind? Maybe he doesn't want to go down with me on this sinking ship?"

"Stop using past tense!" Minghao smacked his friend on the head. "Stop assuming things about Jeonghan just because of something you saw! I thought you two had a connection, what the fuck happened?!"

"I'm just stressed alright?! How would you feel if you were at risk of spending time behind bars?!"

"I'd be scared shitless! Anyone would!" Minghao stood up. "But I'd also do my best to stay calm and maintain a sound state of mind, that way I won't do anything stupid."

"You really think Jeonghan's still on my side?" Mingyu swallowed.

"That's a conversation you need to have with Jeonghan," Minghao sighed. "Look, I honestly don't have any answers for you but I think Jeonghan might have something up his sleeve."

"What if you end up being wrong?" Mingyu asked. "What if I'm right?"

"Then I'm sorry," was all Minghao could say. "I don't have anything else to give you. I'm an artist, Mingyu. I can't solve all your problems, especially on this kind of scale. All I can say is that I know you're innocent, I just hope everyone else can see it."

Mingyu allowed Minghao to pat his back before the artist headed for the door. He felt so empty.

* * *

 

"So we've already started the changes, do you like it?" Hyunjin turned to give Yoon Jeonghan a cocked brow.

Jeonghan eyed the interior of the office and internally groaned. The fat bastard had decided to start renovations inside the office and out of all colours decided to go with beige -- as in a grandmother's old kitchen kind of beige, it was borderline insulting. Aside from the interior, the man had started negotiating with the board regarding reducing wages for their employees and streamlining the cost of the creative department -- that meant they were firing people to further reduce expenses on labour. Jeonghan was close to pulling out his hair seeing the people he'd worked so closely with be kicked out like trash, those were the most crucial people on the payroll.

"Lovely," Jeonghan lied through his teeth as he walked just two steps behind Hyunjin.

"I always envied Sanghoon in the past, I wondered how it felt being the one leading the pack," Hyunjin suddenly went off on a tangent. "Being in control feels...liberating."

Jeonghan bit back his need to cringe, Hyunjin was just as embarrassing as he remembered.

"And also, thank you for taking me home after our dinner," Hyunjin looked over his shoulder. "I got a little carried away."

"Not a problem, sir," Jeonghan replied.

"Though I would have preferred it if you stayed the night," the older man turned to face the brunette.

"I'm not an escort, sir," Jeonghan reminded.

"I'm not calling you one, Yoon Jeonghan," Hyunjin countered. "I think you and I are quite compatible."

Jeonghan resisted the urge to shudder, they were about as compatible as water and electricity. The man was delusional but...delusional meant he was easily manipulated -- Jeonghan could work with that. He'd successfully had Wonwoo duplicate the old bastard's phone so that was a win for him, he just needed to find something that could rule out Mingyu as the suspect. Jeonghan was aware that what he was doing was extremely risky but he was willing to do it for his lover's sake.

"I have a meeting with the board in five minutes, let's continue this conversation another time, shall we?" Hyunjin looked down at his watch.

"Of course," Jeonghan nodded.

The brunette stood watching the pudgy man disappear into the elevator before he headed straight into the CEO's office. He leaned over Hyunjin's laptop and started typing. From memory, he knew Hyunjin was forgetful and he'd locked himself out of his own accounts on more than one occasion. Jeonghan vaguely remembered the combination of letters and numbers, he'd aquired the man's login details since he was very much doing Hyunjin's job for him. The brunette mumbled nervously, he hovered his finger over the 'enter' button -- he only had three attempts before he was given a time penalty. The screen turned black for a split second, then it slowly lit up to reveal the default pink and blue desktop background. Bingo.

There wasn't much time, he needed to be fast. He quickly took a small thumb drive out of his back pocket and highlighted every available file he could find on the man's laptop. He'd sort through everything with Wonwoo later. Jeonghan ejected the thumb drive and pocketed the little device once again, he logged out and put everything back the way it was. He had to get everything transferred ASAP. He now had Hyunjin's phone monitored as well as the files on his laptop, he just needed the final nail in the coffin. The brunette acted natural as he assimilated himself back into the creative department, he refused to get caught -- especially not now.

* * *

 

Mingyu parked his car in front of the 'RQ&S' building and frowned. Rumours had been going around, apparently employees had been seeing Jeonghan walking in and out of the company building. Mingyu honestly didn't want to believe it. He sat tapping his thumb against the steering wheel as he stared at the revolving door that lead inside. As if in a scene out of his own nightmares, a clean-cut looking Jeonghan stepped outside wearing one of his well tailored suits with his hair pushed back and a folder under his arm...and he had Hyunjin's arm draped over his shoulders as the two laughed. Mingyu suddenly felt ill. Jeonghan must've noticed his gaze as the brunette's smile fell from his face, he looked equally mortified if not more so than his lover. Mingyu immediately got out of the car, he walked right over to the brunette.

"What the fuck is going on, Jeonghan?" Mingyu's tone was low, his eyes darted between the two men.

"Mingyu," Hyunjin said looking the young man up and down. "I haven't seen you since you were...smaller."

"Jeonghan, why are you with this guy?" Mingyu reached out to tug the brunette towards him.

Jeonghan broke away from Mingyu's grip and took a few steps back.

"That's none of your business," Jeonghan answered.

"Jeonghan," Mingyu started shaking his head, why was his hyung acting so aloof?

"I don't answer to you or your father anymore so I'd appreciate it if you weren't so touchy," Jeonghan said as he turned on his heel.

"I thought you were on my side!" Mingyu suddenly shouted.

"Your side? Don't you remember what I told you on your first day? Money makes the world go round, I'd like to stay on the winning team, get my drift?" Jeonghan cocked a brow.

"Hyung..." the younger man's endearment came out as a whisper.

"Leave the property, Mingyu," Jeonghan said over his shoulder as he followed Hyunjin. "Only authorised personnel are allowed here, you're no longer one of them."

Mingyu stood in silent shock as Jeonghan walked away. He couldn't believe it.

* * *

 

"How the fuck did you manage that?" Wonwoo asked of the brunette as he flicked through the files on the thumb drive.

"The old bastard never changes his passwords," Jeonghan answered.

"You must have balls of steel," Wonwoo chuckled as he transferred all the files onto his laptop.

"Enough about my balls, what kind of information do you have for me?" Jeonghan cocked a brow as he looked at Wonwoo's laptop screen.

"Well, let's begin with the all the mishaps with the Japanese branch," Wonwoo cracked his knuckle and scrolled down. "All the documents were filled out incorrectly to begin with and declarations section was left blank so of course they never made it past customs."

"What else?" Jeonghan prodded.

"Well, an account was opened in Mingyu's name in the Cayman Islands back in early February," Wonwoo informed.

"The Cayman Islands?" Jeonghan cocked a brow but slowly it hit him. "Hyunjin also had an offshore account in the Cayman Islands, the laws around tax are pretty much nonexistent there, they don't have to share any information with foreign tax authorities either. The fat bastard used to wire all his funds over there in order to avoid being taxed."

"You sure Mingyu already had an account opened in the Cayman Islands, I mean, don't all rich people do that to avoid taxes?" Wonwoo cocked his head.

"Mingyu doesn't even know where the Cayman Islands are," Jeonghan replied.

"Then how'd they find out about Mingyu's supposed offshore account if they aren't required to share information to foreign authorities?" Wonwoo asked.

"They were probably given an anonymous tip, they used it as bait and the investigators fell for it hook, line and sinker."

"We've got ourselves a solid case, I think we should go to the authorities now," Wonwoo suggested.

"Can you do me a favour first?" Jeonghan asked of his friend.

"What is it?" Wonwoo turned to look at the brunette.

"Don't tell Mingyu anything about this," Jeonghan placed a hand on Wonwoo's shoulder.

"What? Why not?"

"I want him to know as little as possible, keep him in the dark. The less he knows, the better. If this all backfires on me then I want it to fall back on me, I don't want him to get caught up in this. He's already been through enough."

"You really care that much about this guy?" Wonwoo questioned the brunette.

"I do," Jeonghan nodded. "I said some harsh words to him today so for now he'll probably think I'm the scum of the Earth. As long as he keeps his distance I won't have to worry about him getting in the way."

"So what's the plan now?"

"I'm going to head home and get some sleep," Jeonghan answered with a yawn. "I need to recharge before I head back into the office. Playing the role of Hyunjin's lap dog is exhausting. We can head to the investigations office tomorrow."

"Get home safe," Wonwoo patted the brunette's shoulder as he walked his friend back to the front door of his apartment.

"Siwoo's presentation speech is in a few weeks right?" Jeonghan suddenly asked.

"Yeah, you can still make it, can't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it, I promised him I'd go," Jeonghan nodded.

"Hopefully all of this will be over by then," Wonwoo looked over in the direction of his son's bedroom.

"Get some rest, I've kept you away from Soonyoung a lot this past week."

"Soonyoung understands our situation," Wonwoo assured. "I hope things work out for you and Mingyu."

"I do too," Jeonghan sighed.

Jeonghan descended the thirteen floors down to the ground level of Wonwoo's apartment complex, it was around three in the morning -- looked like he'd have yet another sleepless night. The brunette slid into his car and headed onto the road, he wanted to shower and unwind -- he just wanted to wash the day off himself. As he drove along the highway, Jeonghan felt something strange, his car break was making a strange creaking noise -- his car had never made that noise before. His car was a new model from last year, his breaks couldn't have already been worn out, it didn't make sense. He made a mental note, he needed to get it checked out ASAP. As he made a right turn, he heard an audible groan from the car engine followed by a thud. Jeonghan immediately pressed on his break but the car kept moving -- fuck. His break wasn't working.

"Son of a bitch!" Jeonghan shouted as his car continued to barrel forward, the downward slope was making the car accelerate.

The brunette fumbled for the handbreak and pulled, that wasn't working either. Jeonghan kept a firm grip on the wheel as he did his best to slow down the vehicle. He turned the wheel causing the vehicle to skid across the road, black tyre marks dragged along the ground in his wake. With a loud crash his car hit the side of the cement barricade that lined the road. Jeonghan let out a cry of pain as his shoulder collided with the car door. Pieces of shattered glass fell from his hair while his seatbelt locked up against his chest. Jeonghan coughed, he felt dizzy. He could feel warm liquid dripping down his neck. The brunette raised his hand to touch the pulsing spot on the left side of his head, he was bleeding...a lot.

"Oh fuck," Jeonghan mumbled as his breathing became more laboured.

With his remaining energy he reached for his phone. He needed to call an ambulance. As his fingers hovered on the screen, he started staring at the picture of him and Mingyu in the background. Right, Mingyu. Jeonghan knew it was a stupid move but he put off calling an ambulance. Instead he started typing on his phone, he wrote a simple message that read 'Trust Jeon Wonwoo.' He flicked through his contacts in attempt to find the right recipient. As he scrolled, he could feel his consciousness leaving him. Jeonghan forced his eyes to open despite his vision blurring, his thumb hovered over a contact whose surname was 'Kim.' He couldn't make out the rest of the name, his eyes were failing him. He pressed send.

Jeonghan felt the phone slip from his grip and fall between his feet. Before he could register anything happening, his vision was turning black. He hoped he'd messaged the right person, he prayed that it was Mingyu who would receive his message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bought platform shoes to wear to the SVT concert. I'm only 152cm tall and I got a standing ticket so I really need the height boost. 
> 
> Let me know if anyone is looking for a 4/11 (second day) SVT concert ticket. A friend of mine can't make it so I have a standing ticket for the 'I' section that I can hand over!~ My friend was supposed to pick it up when she got to Korea but that's no longer happening. Contact me via DM: @Hikariyukix on twitter if you're interested 
> 
> I can only hand it over on the day of the concert since I have to personally pick it up from the seller once I reach Seoul. ;A; Sorry if it sounds shady. I just don't want this ticket to go to waste


	23. A Sudden Reversal

Mingyu was silent. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as the older man in front of him poured him yet another glass of water. He was going through yet another interrogation. He'd been in the room for almost three hours according to the red digits of the small digital clock sat on top on the table. He'd laid out every little detail of what had happened the previous day leading up to Jeonghan's accident...and yet the investigators were still convinced he was somehow responsible. Apparently all fingers were pointed at him, even with an alibi there were no witnesses to prove his story was legitimate and Jeonghan was still unconscious at the hospital.

Apparently his lover's breaks had completely given out while he was on the highway. The brunette's vehicle spun out of control and collided directly with the barricades. Jeonghan suffered a major head wound from making such harsh impact with the glass window; the fact that he already wasn't in one hundred percent physical health didn't exactly make things easier. The brunette was anemic and the blood loss took a hard hit on him. He wanted to visit the brunette despite what had happened between them but even then his simple request wasn't granted. He was immediately taken in for questioning. Sure he was a little hostile toward the police when they escorted him out of his apartment but he wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind. How was he supposed to react? Being blamed for stealing company funds was one thing but attempted murder was a whole other ball park.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Mingyu let out a frustrated breath. "I didn't do it."

"Well it can't be a coincidence, Mingyu-shi," the man in front of him tapped his pen against his clipboard. "Your lover suddenly chooses to work for the new CEO and suddenly he gets into a car accident? Yoon Jeonghan's vehicle was in perfect condition except for his breaks which were recently serviced just a month ago. Breaks don't wear down that fast, Mingyu-shi, especially when driving on such mild terrain such as Seoul."

"I'm not a psychopath, I wouldn't turn to murder just because of something like this!" Mingyu was beginning to lose all his patience. "Haven't you gone down the Avenue of me possibly being framed for all of this? Everything's happening too smoothly, don't you think? It's like all the clues are being presented to you on a silver platter!"

"This would all be over if you told me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth," Mingyu snapped. "I've told you the story from start to end over and over, I'm not going to confess to something I didn't do just so you can call it a day and put me behind bars."

The older man in front of him dropped his pen on the table and rubbed his eyes before looking at the clock. He then looked at Mingyu and sighed.

"You're free to go now, we'll follow up again soon," the older man simply said.

Mingyu grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and immediately headed for the door. He got in his car and sat in complete silence for several minutes. What the fuck was going on? Nothing was adding up, first it was Jeonghan suddenly working for Hyunjin and now the brunette gets himself into a car accident during the most crucial time in the investigation. Mingyu started biting his nails. He couldn't think, he was worried about Jeonghan and he was still very much worried about his own fate. He didn't know what to do, he felt alone.

* * *

* * *

 

Mingyu staggered for the door, the sound of his doorbell ringing was making his migraine worse. Whoever had decided to show up at definitely had no intention of leaving. Mingyu wiped the sleep from his eyes and opened the door. He looked out into the hallway and frowned when he couldn't immediately see anyone.

"Down here, asshole," a voice said with audible irritation.

Mingyu lowered his gaze, oh, it was Jihoon. The shorter man didn't look happy.

"What do you want?" Mingyu's frown deepened.

"We need to talk," Jihoon pushed the taller man aside and stepped inside his apartment.

"Can this wait?" Mingyu sighed.

"Jeonghan's phone went missing the night of the accident," Jihoon folded his arms over his chest. "I overheard the investigators when I went to the hospital, there was a bruise in the shape of his phone on Jeonghan's thigh from the impact of the crash but it wasn't in his pocket when they brought him in."

"His phone?" Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, wallet, watch and keys were still on him, everything valuable except for his phone was taken," Jihoon nodded. "They definitely think the person who took Jeonghan's phone was trying to hide it or possibly get rid of it."

 "You think I did it, don't you?" Mingyu's hand formed a fist at his side.

 "No, I don't," Jihoon shook his head. "I used to but not now."

 "Why the change of heart?" Mingyu was genuinely curious.

 "Because you've got a broken hand and you're nowhere near smart enough to pull off a plan this big," Jihoon said in a casual tone. "Look, I might not be a detective of any sort but I know someone with a broken hand wouldn't be able to physically move Jeonghan's body over using one arm especially in the kind of shape his car was in after the crash. There's no way for you to get any leverage with just one hand, then add the fact that you have to rummage through Jeonghan's pockets for his phone -- it doesn't make sense." 

"You thought about that?" Mingyu's eyes widened.

"I'm no fool, Kim Mingyu," Jihoon shot Mingyu a look.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend you," Mingyu apologized, it was sincere.

"Look," Jihoon repeated, he ran a hand through his bleached blond locks. "Jeonghan told everyone to keep quiet but I think it's better if you know. He's been working with Jeon Wonwoo to help clear your name, he jumped at the chance to spy on Hyunjin when he got offered his job back at the company. Jeonghan told us to keep our mouths shut about his little endeavor since he didn't want you getting any sort of blame in case the plan failed. He wanted to shield you as much as possible."

"So he really was up to something," Mingyu looked down at his feet.

"My guess is Hyunjin probably found out about Jeonghan's plan and decided to take him out," Jihoon said. "Dead men don't talk."

"Jeonghan must've known something big if Hyunjin went to lengths as murder to keep him quiet," Mingyu noted.

"The only person who would know is Jeon Wonwoo," Jihoon nodded once.

"Have you heard from Wonwoo at all in the last twenty-four hours?" Mingyu suddenly felt a bad of sweat fall from his brow. 

"No, not a peep," Jihoon shook his head. 

"Fuck," Mingyu cursed.

"You don't think Hyunjin's planning on doing something to Wonwoo, do you?"

 "If Wonwoo's working with Jeonghan, chances are he'll know something," Mingyu immediately dialled for Wonwoo's number.

 The phone rang and rang and rang for several moments until finally it went to voicemail. Mingyu felt more sweat pour from his forehead -- that wasn't a good sign.

 "Do you know where he lives?" Mingyu looked down at his screen then over at Jihoon.

 "Let's go," Jihoon simply nodded toward the door with his car keys dangling on his index finger.

Mingyu climbed into Jihoon's bulky black Jeep and they drove across the city over to Wonwoo's apartment complex. They rode the elevator in complete silence with only the dull sound of humming from the lift in the background. Both men got out on the right floor and headed for the door on the end. Mingyu rang the doorbell. He was immediately greeted by a pair of small slanted eyes on the small intercom screen.

 "Mingyu?" Soonyoung, the man he'd met on the ski trip with Jeonghan, answered.

 "Hey, I just wanted to know if Wonwoo's here," Mingyu said.

 "Wonwoo? He hasn't been back since last night," Soonyoung replied, he sounded a little on edge.

 "Last night? Has he called you at all? Any messages?" Jihoon was a lot more straightforward in his approach.

 "No," Soonyoung shook his head.

 There was a light jingle and a beeping before the front door swung open and Soonyoung appeared holding a sleeping Siwoo in his arms. The preschool teacher held a finger up to his lips to keep his two visitors quiet before he stepped aside and let them enter the apartment. Mingyu and Jihoon stood awkwardly in the living room as Soonyoung settled the four year old boy into his bed. The preschool teacher returned a minute later rubbing his face.

 "Wonwoo said he was going to go visit Jeonghan in the hospital last night around six o'clock, he said he was only going to be there for a little while but he didn't come back. He usually lets me know he'll be late but I got nothing from him, I called too but it went straight to voicemail," Soonyoung informed. "Siwoo's been waiting for him on the sofa and poor guy finally gave in and fell asleep just before you two got here."

 "Fuck," Jihoon cursed.

 "Do you think something happened to him?" Soonyoung started twiddling with his thumbs.

 "Wonwoo's a smart guy, he's probably fine," Mingyu didn't know if he was trying to convince Soonyoung or himself.

 "He took his laptop with him when he went to the hospital," Soonyoung added. "He said he needed to meet someone after he went to see Jeonghan but he didn't mention who."

 Mingyu started rubbing his face, all the information he was getting were only small tidbits, the beginning without the end -- just a bunch of incomplete sentences. He was so very frustrated.

 "What are we supposed to do now?" Mingyu looked at the shorter man.

 "I think you should-" Jihoon was cut off by the ringing of Mingyu's phone.

 Mingyu's dark eyes trailed over to his phone vibrating on the glass coffee table. It was a private number, Mingyu furrowed his brow. His thumb hovered for a split second until he finally decided to pick up. He was welcomed with white noise followed by what sounded like an exhale -- one that he vaguely recognised as a drag of from a cigarette.

 "Mingyu," the croaky voice greeted.

 "What the fuck do you want?" Mingyu narrowed his eyes, Hyunjin's voice immediately made him ten times more irritable.

 "A little sensitive, aren't we?" Hyunjin's tone was on the verge of sounding condescending.

 "What the fuck do you want?" Mingyu repeated.

"I have a proposition for you, my boy," Hyunjin suddenly said.

 "Proposition? You think I'm willing to listen? You think you can make me accept an offer from you? Are you fucking brain dead?!" Mingyu shouted.

 Jihoon stood with arms folded as he watched Mingyu frantically pace back and forth. 

"I'm going to be this generous once, Mingyu," Hyunjin said. "I'll be waiting in my office until five o'clock, hear my offer and then make a decision. You can either make this easier for both of us or we're going to have to do this the hard way. You saw what happened to Jeonghan, didn't you? Poor boy thought he could outsmart me on his own, just look where that got him."

 "You..." Mingyu had no words, his injured hand forming a loose fist -- it was still very much broken.

"Think about it, Mingyu," Hyunjin's tone sounded all too neutral, it was chilling. "You're fighting a losing battle. Sign over your shares of the company, all you have to do is sign a little sheet of paper and I can give you a generous payout to help you start fresh. It's mighty generous if you ask me."

"All of this for the sake of money? You're disgusting," Mingyu spat. 

"You'd think those kind of words would hurt me but they truly don't, I'll be waiting," Hyunjin concluded. "You have until five o'clock, goodbye."

"Fuck!" Mingyu flung his phone down on the sofa.

"And the plot thickens," Jihoon shook his head, his jaw was tense.

"Fuck!" Mingyu started shrugging on his jacket.

"Wait, where're you going?" Jihoon began trailing after the CEO's son.

"I don't fucking know but I can't stay here."

"You need to calm the fuck down," Jihoon grabbed Mingyu by the shoulders. "You always end up doing dumb shit when you're up in your feelings, so just stay put!"

"Then tell me what I should do! My dad's in hospital and now my boyfriend's there with him! Guess what? It doesn't get any better! The company I'm supposed to be running was taken over by the same suits who helped build it! All I have now are some company shares and even then Hyunjin wants to strip that away from me!"

Jihoon didn't give a response.

"I appreciate you for standing by me but there's nothing you can say that can help me right now," Mingyu opened the door and left.

Jihoon watched the taller man leave before turning to look at Soonyoung. The preschool teacher's lips were pressed together in a thin line -- worry clouded his expression.

"This is all very fucked," Soonyoung mumbled. 

"Yeah, no shit," was all Jihoon could say.

He really hoped Mingyu didn't end up behind bars because in that moment it felt highly likely.

* * *

  
Mingyu handed the taxi driver a fifty thousand won note and stepped out into the parking lot of the 'RQ&S' building, it was getting closer to the evening. There was not a single thought running through his head, no, it was clouded with too much anger and pent up frustration to even string together coherent thoughts. All he knew was that he wanted to throw fists....well...fist, singular, considering he only had one functioning hand. Was it stupid that he was on his own and facing off against an entire board of executives? Yes. Was it also stupid that he was planning on beating the shit out of Hyunjin and potentially incriminating himself even further? Yes. Did he give a shit? No, he did not.

Mingyu cracked the knuckles on his left hand. He was already a dead man walking, might as well get some form of revenge before he went to jail. He knew he'd gone crazy because he was already thinking of the pose he'd do when they took his mugshot. It was going to be a good mugshot.

He made his way through the same familiar entrance and got in the exact elevator he'd shared with Jeonghan day in and day out. Unlike the past, the elevator ride didn't make him feel powerful or important, it just made him feel like he was willingly making his way into the entrance of Hell. It fucking sucked. Once the elevator gave a light 'ding' Mingyu knew it was too late to turn back. He stepped out onto the top floor and immediately he scrunched his face, they painted the bloody place beige, what the fuck? His dad would have probably had another heart attack if he knew they'd made the place beige. Now he was angry for an entirely different reason.

"I knew you had at least two functioning brain cells," a low croak voice made Mingyu's head turn.

"At least I have a neck, you frog looking bastard," Mingyu mumbled to himself as Hyunjin stepped forward.

Mingyu scoffed, the fat bastard was dressed in a grey pinstripe suit, the exact same one his dad liked to wear. The only difference was that Hyunjin's suit required a whole lot more fabric to produce and the buttons on the front were hanging on for dear life as they tried to keep a large bulging belly at bay. Mingyu exhaled through his teeth, his breath felt hot as it filtered past his lips -- he was seething.

"Follow me," Hyunjin nodded over in the direction of one of the larger meeting rooms.

Mingyu followed.

He was met with ten pairs of eyes the second he entered. The entire board was there, all dressed in their usual pressed button-downs, tailored suits and Windsor knotted ties. Hyunjin gestured for Mingyu to sit on one side of the long meeting table while the board sat on the opposing. A sheet of paper was slid over toward him as well as a pen -- a pen that was engraved and looked like it cost a fortune for no reason, how very gaudy. Mingyu looked down at the paper and then at Hyunjin, he cocked a brow.

"I'm only giving you this opportunity once, Kim Mingyu," Hyunjin said. "I'm extending this courtesy to you for old times sake since your father and I were friends once upon a time. I'm offering you ten billion won, no strings attached, no foul play. Just sign over your shares and we'll have nothing to do with each other. I'll help bury all the accusations over your head and you can walk free, it's a rather generous offer, isn't it?"

Mingyu was silent.

"How about fuck you?" Mingyu finally said before he threw his first punch.

The younger man's fist collided directly with Hyunjin's jaw. There was a crack but Mingyu didn't know if it was his hand that made the noise or if it was Hyunjin's jaw. There wasn't much time to react, before he knew it there were hands already restraining him, Mingyu struggled, he slipped free just in time to land another punch before his movements were once again restricted. Mingyu was strong but he was still in a room where he had no backup. He'd come in with the knowledge that he'd be outnumbered, yes it was dumb to go through with his plan but it was definitely satisfying seeing the look of pain on the fat bastard's face.

"You've really pissed me off now, kid," Hyunjin swiped away the blood from his busted lip with a handkerchief.

The older man's face morphed into a dark scowl.

"Good," Mingyu replied with a smirk.

"Call the police," Hyunjin said with a cold look at Mingyu. "You've fucked up your only chance, Kim Mingyu."

"I'll write you a letter from prison, you fat fuck!" Mingyu spat over his shoulder as he was escorted out.

"It really disappoints me knowing Jeonghan went to such lengths to shield someone like you," Hyunjin continued to massage his jaw. "I thought he'd be smarter than this, he could've been set for life yet he decided to stab me in the back in order to save your useless existence. It's a shame, I didn't want to hurt such a pretty face but he forced my hand." 

"Don't call him pretty," Mingyu scowled.

"Oh, is the loyal dog trying to defend its owner?" Hyunjin taunted. "Can't believe all it took was a handsome face to make Jeonghan lose sight of himself. It's going to take some time for me to get his head back in the right place."

"You actually plan to groom him?" Mingyu ground his teeth.

"That has nothing to do with you," Hyunjin replied coldly.

"If you so much as touch a hair on his head I'll make sure you end up six feet under," Mingyu threatened.

"Bold words there, jailbird," Hyunjin flexed his hand into a fist, the silver rings on his fingers gleamed maliciously.

Mingyu knew he'd solidified his fate, there was no way he could reverse anything. He was very much a dead man walking. Mingyu continued to struggle as the older man stepped toward him, the pudgy man tightened his fist. Mingyu braced himself for the impact. He watched the fist come toward him but it never came in contact with his face. Hyunjin's hand was stopped mere inches from Mingyu's cheek, he turned to see a straightfaced Jeon Wonwoo holding back Hyunjin's wrist.

"I'm going to need you to back the fuck up," Wonwoo tightened his grip causing the older man to yield.

"Eager to lose your job, aren't you?" Hyunjin grumbled as he massaged his wrist.

"Oh believe me, I'm not losing anything," Wonwoo said with a confident tone.

"So you were the little snitch working with Jeonghan, why am I not surprised?" Hyunjin scoffed. "I have to say I'm dissapointed, you and Jeonghan have such brilliant minds -- such a shame that they'll end up being cracked open."

"Oh shut the fuck up and talk like a normal human being, you piece of shit," a gruff voice snapped. "Your supervillain speech is vomit inducing along with that equally hideous thing you're wearing on your poor excuse of a body."

All heads turned, Mingyu's eyes focused on the open doorway, he swallowed. The sound of mechanical buzzing was vaguely audible before a man in a wheelchair entered the room in a simple grey pyjama set and black cardigan draped over his shoulders. A pair of burly looking men stood at his back. Mingyu felt a sudden rush of relief, his old man had come. He knew it was far too early to be celebrating but his father's sudden appearance was doing wonders for his bleak situation.

"Gentlemen," Kim Sanghoon cocked a grey bushy brow, he commanded the room even in a wheelchair and an IV drip in his arm.

"Huh," Hyunjin's expression darkened. "I thought you were...recovering."

"I was," Sanghoon gestured for the men behind him to move him closer. "Unfortunately I have to put that on hold since you decided to steal from me while I had my head turned."

"I'm sorry but right now you don't have majority share of the company, it's no longer yours," Hyunjin smirked. "You have no power here."

"Last time I check you all owned less than five percent each, even all combined that's just a mere thirty-seven percent," Sanghoon responded.

"There are smaller shareholders who also agree with my vision for this company, add them altogether and we sit at forty-five percent," Hyunjin narrowed his eyes. "You only hold forty percent yourself, so that puts you behind me, Sanghoon."

"Yes but did you suddenly forget about Mingyu?" Sanghoon cocked a brow. "Or were you just distracted on your little power trip?"

Hyunjin's face fell.

"He holds five percent, add that to my forty and we sit at on same level, don't we?" Sanghoon asked. "Now, let's add to the fact that my late wife -- bless her heart -- had a ten percent share of the company left behind for my son. If my calculations are correct I'm currently leading at fifty-five percent, am I not?"

"It doesn't matter! Your son is already knee deep in all of this, all the leads are pointing in his direction. If he doesn't sign over his shares then he's a shoo-in for prison," one of the board members shouted. "He's already the poster boy for this scandal, no matter what there is more evidence against him than any of us in this room. Just sign the contract and we'll settle."

"That's where I come in," Wonwoo cleared his throat.

Wonwoo promptly opened the laptop under his arm and connected it to projector. He adjusted the rims of his glasses and quickly gave a hard stare over at the room of older men before pulling up eleven folders in total, each labelled with the names of every board member, Hyunjin included. He heard someone swallow. Wonwoo felt the corner of his mouth pull up in amusement.

"As stealthy as you think you are, there are some major plot holes in your plan," Sanghoon said. "Your first mistake was targeting my son, the second was trying to frame him by setting up an offshore account in the Cayman Islands when you also have an account linked right back to the same institution."

"You might think you managed to silence any sort of secrets getting out when you hurt Jeonghan but you forget, he's Yoon Jeonghan," Kim Sanghoon linked his fingers together. "The devil works hard but Yoon Jeonghan works even harder. You caught him a little too late, the boy got hold of all your email exchanges, phone numbers of all parties involved, hell, the boy even managed to duplicate your phone."

"You think something like that can stop my lawyers? What Yoon Jeonghan did was a breach of privacy, in other words illegal. Do you think it's a good idea to self incriminate yourselves just to get some dirt on me?" Hyunjin laughed but it held a shakiness that was a clear indicator of fear.

"I'm not finished," Sanghoon said as he took another look around the room, he made sure to make eye contact with each board member. "You see, when I hired all of you I knew I would always be sleeping with one eye open. I took the risk because I knew you all could give me results."

There was a deafening silence in the room.

"I'd like to think that after all this time you all would have some sort of respect for me, because I surely respected you as my equals. This just makes me feel all the more disappointed, gentlemen, so very disappointed."

Sanghoon gestured for Wonwoo to proceed. Wonwoo in return clicked on a file labelled with Hyunjin's name. Various PDF files, images and videos with dates varying from eight years ago to five days ago filled the screen. Hyunjin's face drained of blood as he stared at the digital trail that was presented before him.

"As you can see, I have an extensive collection of rather incriminating material against you." Sanghoon said. "Every little act of infidelity, misuse of power...and of course your tax evasion schemes to name a few. If any of this were to leak to the authorities or perhaps be used in front of a jury, you would be facing a rather long stint in prison. Oh and let's not forget to add attempted murder. I assure you, a simple white collar prison is not where you'll be going if this gets out." 

Sanghoon took another glance around the room.

"I have enough dirt to bury you all alive and even then I'd still have enough to bury you a second time. I am no fool, gentlemen. I didn't get to where I am by being naive. If you choose to pull out and discontinue this farse then I'll simply accept your resignation and we can end all this on a peaceful note."

Kim Sanghoon's expression then darkened.

"But if you remain insolent and choose to go through with this, all of your secrets are going public -- every single one. You may be conspiring with one another but there are people in this company who are more than happy to watch you all burn. If I leave this company, all my staff will follow -- this is not a threat but a fact. You'll be left like sitting ducks, monarchs without anyone to reign over, get my gist? You can say goodbye to all your industry connections because again, their loyalties are to me."

"Think about this carefully," Wonwoo suddenly chimed in after his boss. "I can ruin your entire life's work with a simple click of a button. Just one click and all your dirty little secrets get sent to every employee in this building and there's no guarantee that they'll keep it to themselves. With pay cuts and culling of so many jobs I would imagine they'd be a little more than eager to watch your lives crumble."

The room became impossibly more silent than before. So quiet that the sound of the wall clock became almost too loud. Mingyu watched with wonderment at his father, he was awed by the older man's sheer power.

Mingyu swallowed as his father gave a smug look and smiled in his direction before addressing the men before him. 

"Checkmate, gentlemen," Kim Sanghoon simply said. "I win."

Mingyu stood in silent shock as the group of men gathered their belongings into their brief cases and scurried out of the room like mice one after the other. Only Hyunjin was left.

"Prepare your lawyers, let's see if they're good as you claim," Sanghoon smiled devilishly at his former COO.

"I thought you said we could end this on a peaceful note if I stand down," Hyunjin's sweat began to permeate through the fabric of his suit.

"I lied," Sanghoon simply replied. "Now run along before I have my security forcibly remove you.The authorities will be in touch with you in the next twenty-four hours. Don't think about running away, they're already monitoring you per my tip off. Also, you might want to turn off the location function on Jeonghan's phone before the police trace it back to you. Such a rookie mistake."

Hyunjin looked visibly distraught but left without another word. Only Mingyu, Wonwoo and his father were left in the spacious meeting room.

"How?" Was all Mingyu could say.

"Jeonghan," his father simply answered.

 "Jeonghan," Jeon Wonwoo repeated after the CEO.

 "But...I thought you were MIA, we couldn't contact you, we thought you were going to end up like Jeonghan," Mingyu furrowed his brow.

"Nope," Wonwoo shook his head. "Hyunjin didn't know the two of us were in cahoots with one another. All he knew was Jeonghan's involvement. I had eyes inside the company, they caught Jeonghan snooping around via the CCTV but aside from that they had no evidence that I was in on anything. Most of my work was done behind a screen."

"Then how'd you two end up working together?" Mingyu pushed.

"Remember that night of Jeonghan's accident?" Wonwoo cocked a brow. "He sent a message to your dad, whether it was intentional or accidental it gave us a chance to talk. I might've had some evidence to prove your case but your dad had an entire gold mine."

"I'd been stockpiling some things in case a time like this would arise," Sanghoon nodded. "Wonwoo came to see me yesterday night, we had a rather long conversation."

"I lost track of time and my phone went dead, I got a little too invested," Wonwoo explained.

"So that's why you didn't answer," Mingyu acknowledged. "And here we all thought you'd been attacked."

"Wonwoo, do me a favour will you?" Sanghoon suddenly chimed in.

"What is it, sir?" Wonwoo looked over at his boss.

 "Leak the files," Sanghoon said with a smile.

 "What?" Wonwoo's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Let's see them rebuild themselves up from nothing," Sanghoon nodded. "Maybe this'll teach them not to bite from the hand that feeds them."

 "Old habits die hard, don't they?" Mingyu's lip curled into a knowing smile.

"I'm old, it's too late to turn over a new chapter," Sanghoon waved off the comment. "You're the only family I have left, son. I can't just give these people a slap on the wrist and send them off on their merry way."

"You have a point," Mingyu replied.

"Now, take me back to the hospital, I'm still a sick man," Sanghoon motioned for his two bodyguards. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay," Mingyu nodded, he was still in shock.

Only he and Wonwoo were left in the room.

 "How long have you and Jeonghan been working on this?" Mingyu asked the head of PR.

 "Weeks," Wonwoo replied.

 "Why didn't he tell me?" Mingyu asked the head of PR.

"To protect you," Wonwoo answered. "It's as simple as that."

"I have to go," Mingyu stepped past Wonwoo, he needed to get to the hospital.

"He doesn't want to see you," Wonwoo threw over his shoulder.

Mingyu's fingers hovered over the doorknob.

"Why not?" He asked.

"He's not in the best state of mind right now, he feels bad about lying to you and he's injured," Wonwoo said. "He doesn't want you seeing him so pitiful."

"I'm still going," Mingyu opened the door but stopped mid stride, he looked back over at Wonwoo. "Give Soonyoung and your son a call, they've been worried sick."

 "I already did," Wonwoo reassured. "Worry less about my family and focus on getting your man."

"Thanks for helping me out," Mingyu nodded at Wonwoo. "I owe you one."

 "Make sure to extend my annual leave and we'll call it even," Wonwoo said as he watched his boss's son disappear into the elevator.

Wonwoo stood by himself as he looked out the window at the now darkened sky. He needed to get home to his family, his small and utterly perfect family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!~ Sorry for being MIA!~ After coming back from Seoul I had to dive right into work, Christmas articles don't write themselves and my editor is an actual slave driver. So I've gotten everything out of the way and here's the new chapter. I wanted to get this out soon as possible so there are a tonne of typos. I'll fix that up in three next 24 hours as usual. T  
> Hope you enjoy!~
> 
> Also, the SVT encore concerts were mindblowing. I couldn't explain into words how amazing it was and seeing the Holiday MV for the first time at the arena was so surreal. Jeonghan looked like a God in person and Mingyu is the coloured of actual caramel. Wonwoo and Hoshi were so handsome too!~ I got to see permed Wonwoo with my naked eyes, I was so blessed!~ 
> 
> And y'all, fan and don't capture even 40% of everything that happens at the concert. There were so many things that were not captured on video and I wished they were! Pledis staff were like lions stalking among the crowd looking for fansites to kick out. It was the day I realized that a Mingyu fansite was made up of multiple people in different areas of the arena. No wonder they got so many shots. Seeing 'Purple Rose' was just indescribable, I choked on my saliva when Jeonghan came out with his little ribbon choker and Mingyu's solo made me cry. 
> 
> I'm never leaving, SVT is it for me. Diamonds are forever.


	24. Taking Responsibility

"Your stitches are healing up nicely," Dr. Song said as he inspected Jeonghan's scalp.   
  
"Any estimates on when I can get out of here?" Jeonghan winced as the older man's fingers pressed against the tender skin of his head wound.   
  
"You're good to go by the end of next week, we just need the stitches to heal a little longer before we can let you go," Dr. Song said. "The chances of you accidentally reopening your wound is still too high."   
  
Jeonghan sighed.   
  
"Why the rush? Do you have a lover you have to run home to?" Dr. Song jokingly said as he checked his patient's IV drip.   
  
"I do but I really don't know if I can face them at the moment," Jeonghan let out another sigh.   
  
"Why not?"   
  
Jeonghan flinched, that wasn't Dr. Song's voice. The brunette slowly looked up and turned his head toward the entrance of his hospital room. Jeonghan swallowed, a straight faced Mingyu stood in the doorway in a simple black tracksuit his dark eyes were focused on his lover's face.   
  
"Mingyu," Jeonghan breathed out his lover's name.   
  
"Hyung," Mingyu said in response.   
  
"Can you give us a minute?" Jeonghan looked over at his doctor.   
  
"Of course," Dr. Song nodded.   
  
"It's past visiting hours, you know," Jeonghan started playing with his blanket.   
  
"I don't care," Mingyu closed the door behind him.   
  
"If you're just here to argue then I'd rather we do it when I'm out of hospital," Jeonghan lowered his head.   
  
"I'm not here to argue, I'm here to thank you," Mingyu's large hand reached for the brunette's.   
  
"What?" That wasn't what Jeonghan expected to hear.   
  
"You just saved me from going to jail, why would I be angry?" Mingyu intertwined their fingers, he frowned noticing how cold Jeonghan's fingers were -- his lover had always had an issue with poor circulation.   
  
"Because I lied to you and I kept you in the dark," Jeonghan listed his reasons, he tried to recoil from Mingyu's touch only to have his lover reclaim his hand.   
  
"But you did it all for my sake, didn't you?"   
  
Jeonghan nodded.   
  
"Tell me, Yoon Jeonghan," Mingyu's face came close to the brunette's ear, his warm breath caused the hairs on Jeonghan's neck to stand on end. "Tell me why you went to such lengths for someone like me, I want to hear it from your own lips."   
  
Jeonghan swallowed, the tip of Mingyu's nose was touching his and their lips were touching ever so slightly. The younger man's dark tapered eyes were trained on him.   
  
"Because I love you," Jeonghan said against Mingyu's lips.   
  
His mouth was immediately invaded, Mingyu's lips latched onto his and didn't let go. Jeonghan let out a small whimper, his lover's tongue was a little too enthusiastic. The brunette was the first to pull away, he was short of breath -- being bed bound had done a number on his already nonexistent stamina.    
  
"Sorry," Mingyu smiled apologetically as he peppered kisses on Jeonghan's cheek and down his neck. "Didn't mean to get carried away."   
  
"You're really not angry?" Jeonghan asked.   
  
"I was at first but not now," Mingyu answered. "The more I thought about it, the more I understood. If the situation was reversed I would have done the same thing. I would've done everything I could to make sure nothing happened to you. I'm more angry about how useless I've been throughout this whole ordeal."   
  
"Mingyu," Jeonghan shook his head. "You weren't exactly in a favourable position, the best thing you could've done was stay silent and you did exactly that."   
  
"Not true," Mingyu hung his head. "I still fell back into the habit of following you."   
  
"Yes but I'd lied to you, Mingyu. I told you I was at home when I was actually with Hyunjin, you had every right to be suspicious," Jeonghan countered. "This is one of instances that fall in the grey area between right and wrong, I don't blame you for doing what you did."   
  
"Then it goes both ways, I don't resent you for the things you had to do in order to clear my name either," Mingyu furrowed his brow.   
  
"Fine, then this'll just be a write-off," Jeonghan concluded.    
  
"A write-off," Mingyu agreed.   
  
Jeonghan let out a relieved sigh, he rested his head on Mingyu's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the younger man's neck. The clean crisp scent of washed cotton invades his nose, he'd really missed Mingyu's scent and pretty much everything else about him.    
  
The younger man's toned arms wrapped around his body felt like a protective shield and the eager lips kissing his temple caused him to involuntarily shiver. It had been a while since he'd had a dose of Kim Mingyu and it was long overdue.   
  
"God, I missed you," Mingyu whispered into Jeonghan's hair.   
  
"The feeling's mutual," Jeonghan returned.   
  
"When can I take you back home?" Mingyu asked.   
  
"Doc said I'm free to go by the end of next week," Jeonghan answered.   
  
"Oh," Mingyu breathed out.   
  
"Don't want to wait?" Jeonghan guessed with a cocked brow.   
  
"I just want to go back to being normal, you know? I want to just return to working my nine to five and having dinner with each other on Friday nights," Mingyu rubbed his face. "I don't want anymore interrogations or any of this CEO bullshit."   
  
"Mingyu, you can't just throw away the company, you just got it back," Jeonghan stroked Mingyu's nape.   
  
"But I don't want it, hyung," Mingyu's shoulders sagged. "I don't want it."   
  
"Talk to me," Jeonghan urged his lover.   
  
"It's nothing like I imagined, hyung," Mingyu buried his face into Jeonghan's shoulder. "Even without everything involving Hyunjin, I just don't think I can run a company. There's just so much shit that I don't know how to do, like you said when I first joined the company; I only learnt the theory -- I don't have any practical experience. All of this is foreign territory."   
  
"You just need some guidance," Jeonghan stroked up and down Mingyu's back.   
  
"I don't want guidance, I want out," Mingyu whispered. "I'm so unhappy, hyung."   
  
"Too much weight to bear?" Jeonghan leaned back so he could see Mingyu's face.   
  
The younger man's face had flushed pink, his eyes were watering and his lip quivered as if biting back a sob -- Mingyu looked so small in that moment. Jeonghan frowned seeing his significant other sport such an expression. The brunette kissed each of Mingyu's eyelids and then the tip of the man's nose.   
  
"Okay," Jeonghan nodded once. "If you don't want to do it then I fully support you. I don't know what your father's going to say or how he's going to react but I'll be there with you every step of the way."   
  
"You're not going to tell me to suck it up and push forward?" Mingyu looked surprised.   
  
"I'd rather you not be miserable," Jeonghan smiled. "Your happiness matters more to me, Kim Mingyu."   
  
"You think my old man will even listen to me?" Mingyu's brows knitted together in concern.   
  
"Why don't you ask me and find out?" Kim Sanghoon's voice made both men turn their heads.    
  
The older man watched them intently, he was now in an electric wheelchair -- his stocky hand was gripped over what looked like a joystick. Jeonghan watched the CEO maneuver his wheelchair to turn in the opposite direction.   
  
"Come, Mingyu," Sanghoon said. "Let's talk."   
  
"Fuck," Mingyu clenched his single fist.   
  
"Go on," Jeonghan gave his lover's back a light push.   
  
"I'll be back," Mingyu said over his shoulder as he trailed after his old man.   
  
"I'm in not going anywhere, I'll be right here," Jeonghan assured, he was in no physical condition to move anyway but his lover needed to hear it.   
  
"Okay," Mingyu nodded once before he exited the room.   
  
He walked a good five feet behind his father and entered the man's hospital room, he closed the door slowly behind him with his palm pressed against the cold wood. Mingyu eyed his father as the man stared out the square window on the opposite side of the room. He didn't know how to start the conversation.    
  
"Don't want to be my successor anymore?" His father was blunt.   
  
"No," Mingyu replied.   
  
"You once said that you wanted to prove me wrong, didn't you? What happened to your determination?" Sanghoon was still faced away from Mingyu.   
  
"It got crushed when I had to step up to the plate," Mingyu replied. "Everything went to shit."   
  
"But not because of you," Sanghoon finally turned. "You didn't prepare for such a ludicrous situation, no one saw it coming."   
  
"That doesn't change anything, I don't want this company, dad," Mingyu snapped.   
  
He immediately pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at the ground. He didn't mean to shout.   
  
"You've seen what people are willing to do for money and power, Mingyu. You're my only family, I can't trust anyone else with this company," Sanghoon frowned. "I'm not young anymore, I can only take care of a company for so long before this old rusty body of mine needs to retire."   
  
"I know that, I know," Mingyu pressed his full weight against the wall.   
  
There was a long silence.   
  
"My old self would've pushed you relentlessly until you gave in but this time I think I'll do things a little differently," Sanghoon finally said and moved his wheelchair forward. "If you hate it that much then as your father I'll try my best to work something out."   
  
"What?" Mingyu's head shot up. "Really? But why?"   
  
"Your mom told me to take care of you, remember?" Sanghoon tapped a finger against his wrinkled forehead. "I've been doing a pretty bad job up until now so think of this as me trying to seek redemption."   
  
"I thought you said it was too late for someone like you to start a new chapter," Mingyu looked skeptical.   
  
"This is not a new chapter, just an edited one," Sanghoon waved off Mingyu's skepticism.   
  
"You really mean it? I don't have to?" Mingyu waited eagerly for the answer.   
  
"Yes," Sanghoon replied. "But you're going to be the temporary one until I can find someone who won't steal from us and ruin my whole life's work."   
  
Mingyu suddenly had an epiphany.   
  
"Jeonghan," Mingyu said. "Jeonghan can do it."   
  
"Hm," his father folded his hands into his lap, his expression unreadable.   
  
"He can do it ten times better than I can, plus he wouldn't paint the office beige," Mingyu reasoned.   
  
"No," Kim Sanghoon said.   
  
Mingyu's smile fell right off his face.   
  
"Why not?" Mingyu asked, his jaw clenched.   
  
"Let me finish," Sanghoon waved at his son, urging the young man to calm down. "Have you asked Jeonghan if he wanted this? Did he say he wanted to be CEO?"   
  
"Well...no," Mingyu replied.   
  
"Then ask him, don't just assume he'll step in for you," Sanghoon's tone was serious. "This isn't a small favour, Kim Mingyu. You're asking someone to shoulder the weight of an entire company on their shoulders in your stead. No matter how sure you are of Jeonghan's feelings for you, you can't expect him to agree to something just because you think he'll say yes."   
  
"Don't want me making the same mistakes you did to mom?" Mingyu asked his old man.   
  
Kim Sanghoon simply nodded.   
  
"I'll ask him," Mingyu assured.   
  
"Go," his dad said.   
  


* * *

  
  
Jeonghan winced as the nurse changed out his IV drip and clamped a hand over his eyes, he was so tired yet he couldn't fall asleep.  His combination of medications kept him wide awake but his mind was moving rather slow. His body felt like a block of cement but his eyes were far from heavy lidded. The fact that he couldn't enjoy his favourite past time of sleeping genuinely annoyed him.   
  
"Am I interrupting?" Mingyu's voice made Jeonghan's head snap right over to the doorway.   
  
"Hey," Jeonghan managed weakly.   
  
"Can we talk?" Mingyu asked with a cocked brow.   
  
"About?" Jeonghan suddenly felt nervous.   
  
"RQ&S," Mingyu replied.   
  
"What about 'RQ&S?'" Jeonghan swallowed.   
  
"Well, I was just talking with dad and I think I found a solution to how I can slip out of being CEO," Mingyu smiled.    
  
"That's great," Jeonghan nodded. "So what's going to happen?"   
  
"Well, I was sort of thinking you could be the CEO instead," Mingyu sat on the edge of Jeonghan's bed and placed his large hands on Jeonghan's shoulders. "It makes perfect sense, you already know all the ins and outs of the company, you've got all the right connections and you know how to make profit and keep the employees happy. You're the right man for the job, hyung."   
  
Jeonghan's face fell.   
  
"Mingyu," Jeonghan gripped his blanket.   
  
"What is it?" Mingyu's expression also started to falter.   
  
"I don't want to be CEO either," Jeonghan said.    
  
"But you're perfect for it," Mingyu furrowed his brow. "You could do it better than I ever will be."   
  
"I don't want it!" Jeonghan snapped. "You can't just pass off your work to me because you don't want to, Mingyu. I love you but you can't expect me to make sacrifices like this. I know you're not suggesting this out of selfishness or saving your own hyde but don't you think it's a little unfair for me? You told me how much pressure you were under, how unhappy you were and how miserable the position made you feel yet you're here telling me that I should take the job?"   
  
Mingyu lowered his head, he didn't think about that.

“I said I would support you but this is too much,” Jeonghan squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his migraine intensify. "Can you give me some space? I need some time alone.”   
  
"Sure," Mingyu got up and headed for the door, he felt like a piece of shit. "Sorry, hyung."   
  
Jeonghan ignored his lover, he was hurt.   
  
Mingyu sauntered down the hall with his head tucked into his chin, he'd fucked up yet again. He went and got himself a drink from the water cooler and then proceeded down to the courtyard of the hospital. He sat himself down on one of the cold metal benches and started biting on his nails. It was a habit Jeonghan had wanted him to break and for a while his nails were in good shape, unfortunately the whole fiasco with Hyunjin reverted him back to his nail biting ways. Mingyu was so occupied that didn't even notice when someone sat beside him.

“Hey,” the voice made Mingyu jump.

“Oh, hey,” Mingyu turned to see Dokyeom, Jeonghan's brother, sitting on the bench beside him with a bag in his lap.

“I heard the news, congratulations on not going to jail,” Dokyeom said.

“Thanks?” Mingyu didn't know how else to respond.

“You don't look all too chipper for someone who just avoided life in prison,” Dokyeom acknowledged.

“I pissed off your brother,” Mingyu sighed.

“Again?”

“Again,” Mingyu nodded and hung his head.

“That was...fast,” Dokyeom commented.

“I know,” Mingyu breathed out. “I’m a piece of shit.”

“That's already a known fact but go on,” Dokyeom urged.

“I feel like I'm constantly taking in this relationship,” Mingyu rubbed his face. “All Jeonghan does is fix my mistakes and yet here I am asking him to make even more sacrifices.”

“That sounds familiar,” Dokyeom said.

“Familiar?” Mingyu looked over at his lover's younger brother.

“I feel the exact same way about my own relationship with Jeonghan-hyung,” Dokyeom smiled sadly. “When we were on our own, Jeonghan-hyung used to work two or three jobs at a time so that we could pay rent and have enough for our daily expenses. He went straight to work after school finished and I only ever got to see glimpses of him during the early hours of the morning. I'd constantly complain about how poor our living conditions were and how shabby my clothes looked compared to my classmates.”

Dokyeom took a breath to compose himself before he continued.

“I kept on bringing up issue after issue and Jeonghan-hyung was on the receiving end of it. He never said anything but I know it must’ve hurt him, I'll never forget it. I caught him crying in the middle of the night about a few months after our mom left, it was his birthday. We couldn't afford to celebrate it, he and I made a makeshift birthday cake out of ‘Choco Pies’ and some candles from the convenience store. I'd never seen him cry before, I was so shocked. The sight of my reliable older brother breaking down made me feel incredibly guilty. He shouldered so many burdens just to make sure we had a roof over our heads at the expense of his own health.”

“He's a great older brother,” Mingyu noted.

“Even when he got the COO position at your dad's company, he always made sure I came first. Do you see what I'm getting at?” Dokyeom turned to look at Mingyu. “My brother’s been prioritizing other people his entire life, I think it's time to change that. He doesn't need another person to babysit and take care of so look me in the eye and tell me what your intentions are with Jeonghan-hyung. He's awfully fond of you for some God damn reason and I don't want to see him unhappy because of you.”

“I love him more than I love myself, alright?” Mingyu fisted the fabric of his sweater, just over his heart. “I think about him day and night, he's the first person I call for in the morning and the last thing I want to see before I fall asleep. Every time we fight I feel like I'm suffocating! No words are strong enough to explain how much he means to me! I want to be the kind of man he needs but I keep falling short and it drives me insane! I just want to make him happy but I keep sabotaging myself!”

“You care about him to that extent?” Dokyeom was slightly taken aback by Mingyu's outburst.

“I love him,” Mingyu nodded, his breathing slightly laboured.

“Then work harder,” Dokyeom said. “Stop giving yourself pity parties and work on improving what you lack. I don't know what lead to your argument this time around but I hope you two figure it out. I might not be one hundred percent behind your relationship but I can't deny the fact that Jeonghan-hyung also loves you.” 

Mingyu had nothing to say, he was surprised by Dokyeom’s words. Dokyeom handed him the bag from his lap and stood from the bench.

“What's this?” Mingyu held the bag up at eye level.

“Food,” Dokyeom replied. “Jeonghan-hyung hasn't been able to stomach the hospital food so I got him some stuff from his favourite restaurant. Go and fix your situation, the food might make it easier for him to forgive you.”

“Thanks,” Mingyu felt genuinely grateful.

“If you break his heart, I break you,” Dokyeom reminded Mingyu as he disappeared out of the courtyard.

“Duly noted,” Mingyu mumbled.

He made his way back into the building and loitered just outside Jeonghan's room for several minutes until he mustered up the courage to enter. His lover's head turned from gazing out the window to over at him. Jeonghan looked so tired, Mingyu felt his guilt intensify tenfold. He took slow timid steps and placed the bag he'd gotten from Dokyeom onto the small table above Jeonghan's hospital bed. 

“Dokyeom got you some food from outside since you weren't eating anything the hospital is giving you,” Mingyu said as he twiddled with his thumbs.

“Thanks, I'll have a bite later,” Jeonghan simply replied and looked out the window again.

Mingyu knew that was his cue to leave but he mentally slapped himself before walking up to his lover. With a clammy hand he reached for Jeonghan's and gave it a light tug to grab the brunette's attention. Jeonghan looked down at Mingyu's hand on his.

“Can I stay?” Mingyu asked.

Jeonghan's gaze met with Mingyu's, the brunette opened his mouth in preparation for a protest but he quickly closed it before giving a nod.

“I know you're tired of hearing my apologies time and time again and I know you're probably questioning why you fell for someone like me. I'm one track minded, I'm selfish, I'm whiny and I know it comes off as me being careless but I promise you I’m not doing it on purpose. I'm sorry about what happened earlier, I didn't think about your feelings or asked you how you felt. I just assumed things and let myself get carried away.” 

Mingyu brought Jeonghan's hand up to his lips and gave each slender digit a gentle peck.

“You've been there for me through thick and thin, you somehow always seem to solve all my problems and yet I've not once asked you if you were okay. It's always been about me, you’ve probably had so many sleepless nights and yet you still did everything you could to make sure I was innocent. I'm a terrible person and an even worse boyfriend. I won't ask you to forgive me but I'd like to show you a better side of me. For now I'll let you get some rest, I've probably given you enough grief.”

Mingyu stroked his thumb over Jeonghan's knuckles savoring the smooth, soft skin before he let go. To his surprise Jeonghan grabbed him by the wrist and took a fist full of his sweatshirt. The brunette's pulled him down until they were millimeters apart, their breath mingled. 

“You said you'd stay,” Jeonghan whispered, his lips tickled Mingyu's ever so slightly.

Mingyu blinked twice, the sudden reaction from Jeonghan left him genuinely speechless.

“Look at me,” Jeonghan placed his palm over the nape of Mingyu's neck. “I know it's hard, you're in an unfavourable situation and I’m thankful that you trust me enough to let me be CEO in your stead but you can't expect me to shoulder the burdens because you don't want to.”

“I realise that now, hyung,” Mingyu nodded vigorously. “I promise you, I do. I'm just scared, so fucking scared of messing up.”

“Don't be,” Jeonghan stroked Mingyu's sunkissed cheek. “I'll be there to help guide you, I can't do everything for you but I can lead you in the right direction. You've got both me and your father to lean on alright? You're not alone so don't play the victim card, all you need to do is ask okay? If there's anything you're not sure about or don't understand, just let me know.”

“You have too much patience, hyung,” Mingyu said with a sniffle before swiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

“You're a pain in the ass but you're definitely a pleasurable one,” Jeonghan kissed Mingyu's temple as the younger man chuckled through his tears.

“Are you sure you weren't a poet in your last life,” Mingyu continued to laugh.

“I'd have been a rather unpopular one,” Jeonghan smiled as Mingyu's lips met with his.

It was a sweet kind of kiss, one that made Jeonghan's toes tingle and caused his fingers to curl as if it was his first. It was just so sincere. 

“The food's getting cold,” Mingyu said as they broke away for air.

“I don't care,” Jeonghan simply said. 

Mingyu smiled as the brunette pulled him in for another kiss. 

“So,” Mingyu sat himself beside Jeonghan's bedside. “Tell me more about yourself, I want to know everything, every little story, tidbit and anecdote.”

“That's a whole lot to cover, Mingyu,” Jeonghan looked over at the wall clock. “It'll take quite a while to cover all the bases.”

“I've got time,” Mingyu assured as he brought Jeonghan's hand back up to his lips. “Listening to your voice is anything but a punishment to me.”

“Smooth,” Jeonghan acknowledged, a dumb smile played on his lips.

* * *

 

 

Wonwoo stood leaning against the kitchen counter, a glass of water hung forgotten between his fingers as he stared at Soonyoung over in the living room. His lover had a comforter pulled around him and he'd tucked himself into a ball on the sofa while watching a show on the television. Soonyoung was still sulking, he still hadn't forgiven Wonwoo for the disappearing act he'd pulled while trying to help clear Mingyu's name.

It had been well over twenty-four hours since he'd last talked to Wonwoo. Now that Siwoo was at his grandmother's house, the two men were left alone in the apartment and the tension was getting almost unbearable. Wonwoo set down his water and ran a hand through his hair before he took the initiative and sauntered over to the living room. He wedged himself in the small space between Soonyoung and the back of the sofa before circling his arms around the protective shield Soonyoung had created around himself with the comforter. He felt Soonyoung squirm and he vaguely heard a ‘hmph’ leave the man's lips.

“I'm sorry,” Wonwoo said and rested his head on top of the comforter, just over Soonyoung’s.

“I’m not talking to you,” Soonyoung gave another ‘hmph.’

“I'm sorry for making you worry,” Wonwoo apologized.

“You should be,” Soonyoung replied despite his earlier statement about not talking to Wonwoo.

Wonwoo felt a smile tug at his lips.

“Are there any ways that I can make it up to you?” Wonwoo pulled Soonyoung in closer.

“Don't ever do it again,” Soonyoung turned to look at Wonwoo, his already pouty lips working extra hard in that moment. “I don't like being out of the loop."

“I promise this'll be the first and last time this happens,” Wonwoo said with a gentle smile.

“You're lucky you're handsome,” Soonyoung huffed as he turned around but he immediately leaned into Wonwoo's chest. 

“Can't live a life without me?” Wonwoo teased.

“Yes,” Soonyoung’s answer held no humour.

Wonwoo's smile faded.

“Ever since I met you, I feel like my life gotten brighter,” Soonyoung curled up into a  even tighter ball. “I haven't been this happy in a long time, Wonwoo. Before you and Siwoo I was always on my own but now I'm never lonely, everything just feels...right. You're there to keep me warm at night, you're my listening ear, my shoulder to cry on and my hand to hold. I probably sound stupid right now but I'm not being dramatic, this is exactly what you mean to me.”

“Soonyoung,” Wonwoo whispered.

“I love you,” Soonyoung’s voice cracked.

“You know, there are so many beautiful words out there and so many different ways of saying you love someone yet when you say those three simple words it makes me feel like I'm on top of the world,” Wonwoo said. “I'm not the best at verbalizing my feelings so I'll make you a promise.”

“A promise?” Soonyoung turned around.

“I'll spend the rest of my days showing you what it means to be loved,” Wonwoo smiled.

“That's a rather ambitious one,” Soonyoung pointed out.

“It's what you deserve,” Wonwoo responded and quickly sealed their lips together, he had every intention to keep his promise. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!~  
> So sorry about the long wait! Christmas has been an unbelievably stressful month for me. My editor has been insufferable since we need to churn out articles for next month's magazine issue. I've had my articles rejected left and right this last month and it's been hard. ;A;
> 
> There are probably only 5 people who are still keeping up with mess but thank you nonetheless for keeping up with my writing!~ Stay safe and remember that you are amazing and you deserve love and respect!~ ♡♡♡ Happy Holidays!~
> 
> P.s I'm currently planning my next gyuhan fic. It's gonna be another emotional rollercoaster because y'all probably know I love making people feel things. Keyword: 'Kitsune.' That's all I'm going to say for now!~
> 
> One chapter left to go for Winning Over Mr. Independent!


	25. Letting It All Out

Mingyu let his pen roll across his desk as he signed off the last bit of paperwork before slipping it into a large ivory coloured envelope. He'd renewed the contracts with their main manufacturing companies and sent out an email to notify the recruitment team they would soon be in need of new employees. They were getting closer to expansion, something that was both exciting and absolutely terrifying. This was Mingyu's first major move as the acting CEO, his first decision without his dad there to give him the go ahead or Jeonghan to hold his hand -- it was nerve wracking.

He was very much reluctant going back into the office but Mingyu had learnt to appreciate the job a little more without the threat of a coup d'etat constantly on his mind. As promised, Jeonghan had been glued to Mingyu’s side and had been the supporting pillar that he desperately needed. His father had been supportive also but the older man was very much in retirement mode and wanted to focus more on his leisure activities than on a company -- that made Mingyu slightly annoyed but he had to remind himself that his dad was old.

“Hey, have the fabric samples from the manufacturers been delivered to the building yet?” Xu Minghao’s voice broke through the silence of Mingyu's office.

“You might have to head over to HR and ask, they're the ones who handle all the mail that comes through the building, if not it's probably been taken by someone in the Innovations Department,” Mingyu said as he eyed his friend.

Appointing Xu Minghao as part of the design team had been a shot in the dark for Mingyu. He'd offered the job to the artist one night after being underwhelmed with the mockups and overall concept for their Spring collection. Minghao had accepted the job immediately. The artist's abstract way of thinking did some wonders for the Creative Department considering many of the current people in that area were recycling their older collections over and over.

“Any plans tonight? You're awfully dressed up for a work day,” Minghao threw over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

“That's only for me to know,” Mingyu cleared his throat, he was slightly embarrassed.

“Must be nice having such a loving boyfriend,” Minghao teased before disappearing down the hall.

Mingyu shook off his giddy smile as he stared down at the small picture frame on his desk. A simple black wooden frame held a picture of Jeonghan fast asleep on a sofa at the ski cabin, courtesy of Siwoo who had gotten a hold of Wonwoo's phone. Jeonghan was due back from his fortnightly trip to the Japanese office by the evening and Mingyu was all too eager to see the man. It had been forty-eight hours since he'd seen his lover but it had felt like an eternity. He was clingy, there was no doubt about it but Mingyu felt no shame in admitting it. Instead of exercising self control he picked up his phone and called Jeonghan.

“Mingyu?” Jeonghan's voice asked after two rings.

“What time were you flying back today?” Mingyu skipped all the formalities.

“Oh...about that…” Jeonghan trailed off.

“Jeonghan,” Mingyu knew that tone, no good news ever came after hearing those words.

“I know, I’m sorry but there's really nothing I can do, Mingyu. It's chaotic here right now, we just opened three new locations across Japan and I need to be here to oversee it all,” Jeonghan said, he sounded very apologetic.

“You promised you'd be back by tonight,” Mingyu frowned as he spoke with Jeonghan over the phone.

“I know what I said but there's just a lot I have to sort out, Mingyu,” Jeonghan apologized from the other end.

“I thought we'd already hired someone else to oversee everything at the Japanese branch, why are you even back in Tokyo?” Mingyu continued to complain.

“Because whether or not there's someone in charge, it's still my job to make sure everything is on par with our main branch, Mingyu,” Jeonghan reminded his lover. “Remember what happened last time we left the Japanese office without routine check in?”

Mingyu sighed, he could never win when it came to Yoon Jeonghan.

“I know you don't like us being apart but it's only for a few days out of a month, we see each other more often than any other couple I know. Don't you want to have some time just to yourself? You know, take a break from me and have some quality alone time?” Jeonghan asked.

“I don't want a break from you, I want even more of you, hyung,” Mingyu countered. “Being with you isn't a punishment.”

“You're just making me feel more guilty than I already am, Kim Mingyu,” Jeonghan breathed out heavily.

“Any chance you can catch a flight out tomorrow then?” Mingyu tried his luck once more.

“No, I don't think so,” Jeonghan replied. “I'm waiting on the sales reports for this month and then I need to have a discussion with the marketing team here in Tokyo. From what I see, it'll take another day if not two.”

“I'm flying over there,” Mingyu immediately decided.

“Mingyu,” Jeonghan's voice held a warning. “This is the second time this month, you can't just hop on a plane just because of your separation anxiety.”

“I can and I will, nothing will change my mind,” the sound of rustling and jingling keys were all too familiar to Jeonghan.

“Mingyu,” Jeonghan shook his head but a smile began to form on his lips.

“I'll get you something nice from duty free, wait for me,” Mingyu announced.

“I-” Jeonghan began to protest but he knew it was useless -- and in all honesty, he was equally desperate to see his lover. “I'll wait for you.”

Jeonghan bit down on his lower lip to hide his smile, he'd never had someone be so persistent especially when they were already an item.

“Your wife missing you?” The head of Marketing asked Jeonghan as she looked over her spreadsheets. “She sounded hysterical.”

“That was a man,” Jeonghan corrected.

“Are you sure?” the woman arched a perfectly manicured brow before she went back to work.

* * *

 

“You're not going to pick me up at the airport?” Mingyu asked, he’d called Jeonghan the minute he landed.

“Mingyu, I’m working,” Jeonghan sounded tired. “I sent a car to pick you up, it'll take you back to the hotel so just hang out until I get back, okay? There's plenty to do around Tokyo.”

“I'm only here to see you,” Mingyu pointed out.

Jeonghan sighed.

“I wish I could drop everything and go see you but I can't, can you just stick it out for a few more hours?”

There was a laboured silence.

“Yeah, I'll wait,” Mingyu finally agreed.

“Thank you, I'm just as eager to see you but we need to be adults right now,” Jeonghan reminded.

“Adulthood is a scam,” Mingyu concluded.

“Yes it is,” Jeonghan chuckled. “I'll see you soon, love you.”

“Love you, too,” Mingyu pouted as he pocketed his phone.

Mingyu walked over to an older gentleman holding a sign with his name written in rather awkward looking Hangul. He was escorted to a simple black car like every other time he'd visited Tokyo and off they went. Just as the car entered the fray of traffic, his chauffeur looked at him through the rearview mirror before turning his attention back to the road. Mingyu managed to catch the older man's gaze.

“Something wrong?” Mingyu cocked a brow.

“Nothing at all, the way Jeonghan-san describes you made me think you were a lot...smaller,” the man said.

“Oh?” Mingyu was interested. “What does he say about me?”

“That you're clingy, constantly in need of attention, awfully sulky when you can't get your way and unable to control your emotions.”

“Oh,” Mingyu suddenly lost interest.

“It might be hard to believe but when he says those things it’s usually said with a rather tender expression on his face,” the chauffeur added. “You're all he ever talks about whenever we're in the car. Jeonghan-san used to never talk about his personal life with me, you must have done something grand in your previous life for him to suddenly let down his guard.”

“I guarantee you it wasn't easy...uh...what's your name? I didn't get a chance to ask.”

“Just call me Furuya,” the chauffeur tipped his hat with a gloved hand.

“Furuya-san,” Mingyu acknowledged.

“May I ask for the details about how you two met, if you don't mind me asking?" Furuya looked at Mingyu again through the rearview mirror.

“I don't mind,” Mingyu said. “Believe it or not, he and I were mortal enemies when we first met. We butted heads, we argued about every insignificant little thing and at one point Jeonghan-hyung was close to beating my ass.”

“That bad? So what changed?” Furuya asked.

“I honestly don't know, it was a combination of things rather than just one. We were put together for a project by my old man and slowly we just got closer, I mean, it was inevitable considering we had to work so closely with one another. He was cold but then he was warm at the same time, you know? He'd scold me but then he'd show me what I did wrong and help me fix it. It was just a bunch of little things he did that showed he cared,” Mingyu started playing with the strings of his hoodie.

“His actions alone weren't the only reason you fell for him, correct?”

“Well, have you seen him?” Mingyu cocked a brow.

“He's quite dashing, isn't he?” Furuya chuckled.

“Dashing is a great word to describe him,” Mingyu agreed. “Sometimes I think he could've done better.”

“Now why would you think that?” Furuya cocked a greyed eyebrow.

“Because I'm too dependent on him,” Mingyu answered. “I won't go into the details because that is an entirely different story within itself but I just feel like I'm not doing enough as his lover. I mean, sure, I make sure to never squeeze the toothpaste from the middle and I make sure to sort and take out the trash but that barely counts as equal contribution in this relationship. He does so much.”

“A lot of things happening in that pretty little head of yours, aren't there?” Furuya laughed. “Don't beat yourself over it, son. You might find those things insignificant but to Jeonghan it might mean a lot. It doesn’t look like much from your perspective but from what I see, it shows that you care. Jeonghan doesn't like it when you squeeze the toothpaste from the centre and he doesn't enjoy taking out the trash, does he?”

“Yeah, he hates both,” Mingyu nodded.

“You do it so Jeonghan doesn't have to,” Furuya concluded.

“Well, yeah.”

“That's a mark of a healthy relationship, Mingyu-san,” Furuya waved a gloved finger. “This shows that you're observant and that you're willing to make sacrifices for your significant other.”

“It's not really good enough when you look at what Jeonghan's done for me, though,” Mingyu still wasn't convinced.

“Has he ever mentioned his dissatisfaction with your efforts?”

“Well...no…” Mingyu replied.

“Then you don't have a reason to worry,” Furuya waved his hand at Mingyu.

“You sound like you've got of experience in this area,” Mingyu smiled at the chauffeur.

“I've been married for thirty-five years,” Furuya said proudly. “I already made all the rookie mistakes.”

“Any words of advice for a long healthy relationship, then?” Mingyu asked half-jokingly.

“Don't ever miss the opportunity to say ‘I love you,’” Furuya answered. “Those three simple words make all the difference. “You'd be surprised how little things like that can affect your relationship.”

“Anything else?”

“Don't let your loved ones make sacrifices while you reap the benefits,” Furuya said, his tone suddenly sounding serious. “Married or not, you're each other's support. If one takes more of the weight, eventually you'll both fall.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Mingyu said as he brought his finger up to his mouth and started biting on the nail, he was thinking.

He knew it was a dumb thing to do but he did it anyway.

“Furuya-san,” Mingyu said.

“Yes?”

“Take me to the ‘RQ&S’ building,” Mingyu demanded.

“You sure?” the older man glanced at him.

“Yes,” Mingyu nodded. “I've never been so sure in my life.”

* * *

 

“Alright, so that means we need to double the quantity of the next stock shipment, doesn't it?” Jeonghan looked over the final report -- about fucking time.

“Yes and surprisingly our main demographic seem to be men over women which is a rarity, the major consumers of our brand has always been women,” one of the older gentlemen said as he adjusted his glasses.

“If the patterns are consistent in the months following our Spring collection then we'll consider turning our focus on making more unisex or gender neutral clothing. That way we can dip our hands into two markets at once and also streamline the manufacturing process. Two birds, one stone,” Jeonghan concluded. “That's everything covered for now, I think we only have one more thing to do before we can all go home.”

Jeonghan rubbed his tired eyes with his fingertips in preparation for the last part of the meeting. As he opened his mouth, the door to the meeting room opened revealing a young woman who wore a flustered expression as she scanned the room with her rounded glasses. Once she spotted Jeonghan, she shuffled over in her kitten heels and whispered in his ear.

“Kim Mingyu is here to see you,” the woman said. “He's quite eager.”

“Can you please tell him to wait an extra fifteen minutes? I'm kind of busy,” what the fuck was Mingyu doing at the office?

“I'll try but he doesn't look like the type who enjoys waiting.”

“Jeonghan! Yoon Jeonghan!” Mingyu's muffled voice shouted.

“Fuck,” Jeonghan cursed.

“Excuse me for just one moment,” Jeonghan addressed the meeting room and quickly exited.

When he turned his back he was faced with a slightly disheveled Mingyu, it looked like he'd been running his hands through his hair because the dark locks were sticking out at odd angles. Jeonghan felt his heartbeat quicken when their eyes finally met.

“Weren't you supposed to be at the hotel?” Jeonghan asked.

“I need to tell you something,” Mingyu announced.

“Can it wait? I'm still working right now-”

“No, I don't think it can wait, hyung. If I don't do it now then I'll be too embarrassed to do it later!” Mingyu announced.

“Mingyu, there are people who are working here,” Jeonghan looked apologetically at the staff who were looking up from their computer screens.

“I don't care, it's not like they can understand me anyway. This is the perfect time, Yoon Jeonghan,” Mingyu gave his chest a hard smack to calm his nerves.

“Mingyu, what are you going to do?” Jeonghan's eyebrows knitted together, Mingyu was fucking unpredictable.

“I love you, Yoon Jeonghan! I love you! I love every single bit of you with every fibre of my overgrown beanstalk looking body! I love your eyes, your lips, that cute little ass of yours and even your weird, bendy double jointed fingers! I love it all!” Mingyu paused to take a much needed breath before he continued. “If there were a more appropriate word for how much I care about you I would use it but right now this is the best I can do. I know words don't mean anything if there is no action so I'll spend however long it takes to show you that you're my end game.”

“Mingyu,” Jeonghan whispered dumbly at his lover.

“You're my end game, Jeonghan,” Mingyu repeated.

“Mingyu…” Jeonghan moved forward.

“Yeah?” Mingyu gazed at the brunette.

“You're so dumb,” Jeonghan shook his head but his eyes started to water.

“I’m hoping those are happy tears,” Mingyu swiped away at Jeonghan's cheek.

“They are,” Jeonghan assured before he bit his lip.

“What's wrong?” Mingyu felt nervous seeing the brunette look away.

“Well...everyone at this office is bilingual,” Jeonghan informed.

Mingyu felt his stomach do a flop.

“Ah, fuck,” was all Mingyu could say as he covered his eyes with his hand, he was turning an impossibly vibrant shade of red.

“Alrighty, folks! Back to work, pretend this never happened and I'll add on an extra hour's worth of pay to each of your paychecks!” Jeonghan clapped his hands.

All eyes diverted away from the two men but a few giggles and whispers of the newfound information kept the office atmosphere lively. Jeonghan patted Mingyu's flushed cheek for a brief second before he went back to the meeting room. He stuck his head inside, threw his notes onto the table and gave a curt nod.

“We'll continue tomorrow, I'm postponing,” Jeonghan gave the simple explanation and closed the door behind him, he grabbed Mingyu by the waistband of his sweatpants and headed into the elevator.

Once the door closed, the brunette wrapped his arms around Mingyu's waist and tilted his head up for a kiss. His lover eagerly obliged and the two shared a much anticipated kiss. They broke apart the second the doors of the elevator opened. Jeonghan lead Mingyu out of the building and they got inside the company car in the lot outside.

“You're crazy,” Jeonghan said to Mingyu once they were both inside the car.

“I know,” Mingyu acknowledged flashing his canines as he smiled at his lover.

“You realize that little stunt you pulled is going to spread like wildfire, right?” Jeonghan cocked a brow.

“I don't care,” Mingyu replied. “Why should I be ashamed of people knowing I'm in love?”

“If you keep saying things like that I might just fall even deeper for you, Kim Mingyu,” Jeonghan smiled as he started the car.

“That's my intention, Yoon Jeonghan.”

The two drove in comfortable silence, Mingyu's hand held firmly onto Jeonghan's free hand as they weaved through traffic. Once back at Jeonghan's hotel, the two played casual as they stood among other hotel patrons inside the elevator. Jeonghan lead them down a wide corridor and scanned his key card. Before he even got a step inside, Jeonghan felt an arm brace around his waist. The door was swiftly closed behind him and Mingyu's hot breath began to tickle his ear. Mingyu's breathing became uneven, almost ragged. The younger man's hands traveled down his front and started undoing Jeonghan's belt. The large hands then reached inside his lover’s briefs and gave the most sensitive part of him a languid stroke.

Jeonghan gasped, his back arching.

“It's been a while, hasn't it?” Mingyu whispered, they'd been so busy that there was little time for intimacy.

“Then we shouldn't wait any longer, should we?” Jeonghan turned around and grabbed a fist full of Mingyu's hoodie.

The brunette spun them around and backed Mingyu into the bedroom. His palm pressed firmly against the taller man's chest urging him backwards until the back if Mingyu's knees hit the edge of the bed. Jeonghan gave Mingyu's lips a quick peck and shoved his lover back. Mingyu landed on the mattress with a soft thud. Jeonghan slid off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt, slowly button by button while an eager Mingyu watched biting his lip. Jeonghan smiled devilishly as he continued teasing his lover with his intentionally slow movements.

“Jeonghan-hyung,” Mingyu whined hoping the endearment would make things move faster.

“Beg,” Jeonghan repeated the same word he'd uttered their first night together all those months ago.

“Please,” Mingyu responded, his eyes glistened recalling the same moment.

Mingyu then realised, they were in the same hotel as before, the exact one where they'd shared a bed for the first time. The same one where he and Jeonghan first started a relationship. They were back where they started.

“Have you figured out why this hotel looks familiar?” Jeonghan asked straddling Mingyu's hips.

Mingyu nodded.

Jeonghan stared at Mingyu's parted lips and ran his thumb over the lower one before he bent down and sealed their lips. Mingyu's warm hands yanked at Jeonghan's open shirt flung the offending item away followed by the brunette's pants. Even when the brunette was naked, Mingyu still wanted to see more skin. The peaches and cream complexion of Jeonghan's skin was further complimented by the glowing light that radiated above them from the chandelier. Mingyu always loved to do his lovemaking with the lights on, he wanted to see Jeonghan's erotic expressions, his sensual movements and every little twitch that caused his toes to curl. Mingyu knew it was very perverted of him but he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

“Thanks for coming all the way here...even though I told you not to,” Jeonghan said as he buried his head into Mingyu's shoulder, the younger man's fingers had found his entrance and beginning to prepare him.

“Like I said, being with you isn't a punishment,” Mingyu kissed Jeonghan's bare shoulder.

“Do you still resent me for making you keep this CEO gig?” Jeonghan asked, his heartbeat accelerated.

“I never resented you and you didn't make me do anything,” Mingyu said. “I was just...scared.”

“Of what?” Jeonghan stroked Mingyu's cheek.

“Failure, not meeting expectations and potentially ruining everything my dad's worked for. The situation with Hyunjin didn't help with my confidence either, there was just too much at stake, you know?”

“How do you feel about it now?” Jeonghan asked as Mingyu pushed them up into a sitting position.

“I think it's getting easier,” Mingyu said. “I think majority of my anxiety stemmed from the backstabbing behaviour of the previous board.”

“Makes sense,” Jeonghan nodded in understanding, he'd be paranoid as well if the people who were supposed to be on his side were secretly finding ways of ruining him.

“I feel a lot more...secure now,” Mingyu said as he ran his hands up Jeonghan's spine and caressing each vertebra. “I've surrounded myself with people I trust and I have you as my main pillar of support, it all doesn't seem so hard. I'm not on my own rowing down shit creek without a paddle.”

“Interesting choice of analogy,” Jeonghan chuckled.

“You can lean on me a little more from now on, hyung,” Mingyu's brow furrowed. “I promise I won't be as irrational as I was in the past, I won't be so quick to jump to conclusions and I'll make sure you're happy.”

“What's gotten into you?” Jeonghan cupped Mingyu's face in both hands. “You're never this sentimental.”

“Well I'm going to change that starting today,” Mingyu replied. “I'm going to make sure you know exactly what you mean to me.”

“I'm looking forward to it, Kim Mingyu,” Jeonghan smiled as Mingyu's member prodded at his rear.

The brunette closed his eyes feeling the burning pressure of the rigid length entering him. With his arms wrapped around Mingyu's neck, he could feel the younger man under him shudder. They really were to pieces of a puzzle, every contour of their bodies lined up perfectly with the other. Their movements were slow, indulgent, there was no urgency or aggression -- they were simply enjoying each other's warmth, touch, taste and scent. Jeonghan stroked the back of Mingyu's neck while the younger man’s head buried into his chest, the sound of Jeonghan's heartbeat was oh so soothing.

“I won't ever run out on you, hyung,” Mingyu whispered. “Never.”

“I believe you,” Jeonghan responded.

Mingyu smiled as he tightened his grip on Jeonghan's waist and quickened his pace ever so slightly. He watched Jeonghan's expression as he changed the angle of his thrusts and further adjusted himself in order to reach that spot that made his lover see stars. Mingyu held his breath as the brunette bit into his shoulder and moaned. Mingyu found his completion when he felt the tips of Jeonghan's nails dig into his back. He held onto the man in his arms, both of them breathing heavy and covered in sweat yet he didn't want to let go. He was holding his whole life in his hands.

“You're my end game, Yoon Jeonghan,” Mingyu repeated his words.

Jeonghan didn't give a verbal reply. Instead, the brunette pressed his forehead into Mingyu's and mouthed a simple ‘I love you’ against his lips. A message that no one else but Mingyu had the pleasure of knowing.

* * *

 

“I'm telling you, it's supposed to be a glass of wine from an aerial perspective,” Minghao angrily said as he pointed at the abstract looking painting hanging in front of him.

“And I'm telling you it looks like an anus!” Jihoon shouted right back at the artist.

“You can clearly see two hands reaching for the glass!” Minghao argued.

“Come on, it just looks like some dude spreading his ass cheeks!” Jihoon countered.

“This wasn't what I imagined when I suggested going to an art gallery,” Dokyeom sighed as he watched his friend and his lover argue over the fifth piece of artwork of the night.

“You know what, I’m going to get a drink. You're just not cultured enough to enjoy real art,” Minghao huffed and walked out of the room.

“It wouldn't hurt to just nod along and listen to him, you know,” Dokyeom looked over at his boyfriend.

“I call it as I see it,” Jihoon shrugged. “It may be art to some people but to me it's just a bunch of messy strokes.”

“Then what would you constitute as art then, I'm curious.”

“Art is subjective,” Jihoon said as he and Dokyeom began walking side by side. “For me, it doesn't always have to be visual.”

“Example?” Dokyeom cocked a brow.

“The low timber of your voice when you're reading your lecture notes, your mumbles when you're having a good dream and your little hums when you're making dinner. These paintings don't even hold a light to the sound of your voice.”

“Oh,” Dokyeom suddenly felt heat radiating from his ears.

“I might bring you into the studio sometime, I'd like to have that voice of yours immortalized,” Jihoon smiled at his boyfriend.

“I didn't know you liked my voice so much,” Dokyeom smiled back playfully. “Do you see me as your muse?”

“Muse?” Jihoon cocked a brow. “Definitely not, a muse inspires creativity but overtime muses change. You're more than that, you're more my purpose than a simple muse.”

“You're usually not this...verbal about your feelings,” Dokyeom was genuinely baffled.

“I've learnt from my mistakes, I’ve lost a lot of people over the years because I refused to show any sort of vulnerability. I guess you could say I had a little bit of a complex standing at my height. What I lacked in height I compensated with my attitude, it was a stupid thought process I had but it then became a safety blanket that I would hide under.”

“You were never cold or rude toward me though, I've only ever known you as someone I could rely on,” Dokyeom offered, he'd known Jihoon for years.

“You were easy to open up to,” Jihoon said, his expression blank.

“Was it because I was Jeonghan's brother?” Dokyeom’s face fell slightly.

“No, because you were just you,” Jihoon answered. “Look, I did have feelings for Jeonghan in the past but that was in the past. Right now you're the one I want okay?”

Dokyeom still looked unsure.

“Look, I'm not exactly the best at this whole relationship bullshit and I cuss more than a sailor but I promise I'll make it my life's goal to collect the prettiest words the world has to offer and give them to you. I'll fuck up here and there but I know I can fix it. You just have to believe me.”

“The prettiest words in the world?” Dokyeom asked, a smile formed once more on his lips.

“Every single one,” Jihoon nodded.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued,” Dokyeom admitted.

“Then hurry the fuck up and accept my feelings, I'm running out of poetic shit to say,” Jihoon looked away clearly embarrassed. "I can't give you pretty words if you don't give me time to Google."

“I look forward to seeing all your pretty words, Lee Jihoon,” Dokyeom finally replied as he slipped his hand into the shorter man's.

“Come on, if we're quick we can go hide in the next exhibition and scare the shit out of Minghao when he comes back.”

“Okay,” Dokyeom muttered, a gentle smile pulled at his lips and caused his eyes to crinkle into crescents -- he never knew Jihoon was such a smooth talker, he was curious what other beautiful words the man hid under his rocky exterior.

* * *

 

Jeonghan sat leaned against Mingyu's chest as the younger man inspected their intertwined fingers for the millionth time. He pulled their hands toward his lips and gave the back of Mingyu's palm a quick peck.

“No matter how many times you count, there's still going to be five fingers on my hand,” Jeonghan chuckled.

“I finally got my right hand back okay? It's been lonely,” Mingyu said, his lips kissing a line up Jeonghan's nape.

“Is everything okay back home? How are you coping?” Jeonghan's tone shifted to one that was more serious. “Are you having any sort of problems? Because if you are you need to tell me.”

“Surprisingly, I don't have any complaints...well, maybe a few but nothing major,” Mingyu answered.

“If you ever feel like it's too much or if you find yourself losing sleep over something then just tell me,” Jeonghan looked up at his lover. “I don't want you keeping it all bottled up.”

“I promise,” Mingyu nodded, his eyes once again returning to inspect Jeonghan's hand.

“What's gotten you so fascinated by my hand all of a sudden, Kim Mingyu?” Jeonghan cocked a brow.

“I don't know, it looks like it's missing something,” Mingyu answered, his thumb brushing over the knuckle of Jeonghan's ring finger.

Jeonghan's lips pressed into a thin line.

“I know both of us are children of broken marriages and neither of us see marriage as something positive but I like the idea of having rings,” Mingyu admitted.

“I'm not opposed to it,” Jeonghan's words made Mingyu's head snap up.

“What?” Did he hear that right?

“I think it'd be nice having a small piece of you wherever I go,” Jeonghan smiled thoughtfully.

“We'll do it tomorrow morning, most jewelry stores open at nine so we have to be awake at around eight to get ready. I've already picked out three places I want to visit since they specialize in rose gold, I think you'd look amazing in rose gold,” Mingyu announced.

“How long have you been planning this?” Jeonghan chuckled at his lover's enthusiasm.

“Since I got on my plane, I bought the extra inflight Wifi so I had plenty of time to Google.”

“Kim Mingyu,” Jeonghan touched the younger man's face.

“Yes, hyung?”

“You talk too much,” the brunette turned around and whispered.

The two sat in the dark, illuminated by a small streak of light that streamed through the crack in the door leading outside the bedroom. There were no more words exchanged between them, just delicate touches and sweet kisses. Amidst the chaos, they'd found solace in each other. It was pure bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all!~ 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! This brings us to the closing of yet another piece of writing! Thank you so much 95zsoulmate for this writing prompt! Your detailed instructions and requests for the storyline really challenged me. Having to follow someone else's rules was a very interesting experience and thank you for allowing me to have creative freedom and change certain aspects of the prompt to help the flow of the story. 
> 
> This has been a very fun project to work on and the longest fic I've published. Thank you everyone who read from start to end, you're all legends! I hope you all enjoyed seeing a sneak peek into the fashion world, aka my actual irl job. Hope you learnt some things, had some giggles and a few emotional breakdowns!~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
> 
> As my gift to my longtime readers, I've included an epilogue after this chapter as an extra. The epilogue has references from a previous work so if it doesn't make sense to you, you might have to read my other work in order to get the references. *cough cough* shameless plug *cough cough*
> 
> Happy new year everybody!


	26. Familiar

“Are you sure it's this place?” Mingyu asked as he stepped out of the car.

“The sign says pre-school, there are children all around and there's a playground,” Jihoon gave Mingyu an annoyed look. “Of course we're at the right place.”

“No need to shout, Thumbelina,” Mingyu shot back as he shuffled over to Jeonghan.

“Say that again, bitch,” Jihoon's lip twitched.

“Can we all be civil for just an hour? Please,” Jeonghan rubbed his temples after locking the car. “Let's all be adults and act our age, we're here to watch Siwoo's presentation and the least you can do is not embarrass the kid. He's already nervous enough without having all of us here fucking around.”

“It was just yesterday when Wonwoo brought Siwoo over and he farted in my hand,” Dokyeom mused.

“Ew,” Minghao scrunched his nose as he fixed his hair in the reflection of his front camera.

“Okay single file, children,” Jeonghan clapped his hands and escorted the four younger men inside the pre-school building.

Inside the building the immediate smell of wax crayons filled the space. The four men were escorted to rows of plastic chairs where they bowed to all the other parents and took their seats. They stuck out like sore thumbs among the other guests. They weren't parents or guardians, they we just...there. Before any awkward small talk began, a smiley Jeon Wonwoo came to join them holding a camcorder in one hand and a nervous looking Siwoo on his hip.

“Thanks for coming,” Wonwoo addressed his small circle of friends.

“This must be important if you invited five people,” Dokyeom ruffled Siwoo's hair before looking back over at Wonwoo.

“I mainly needed you all to be here so I can get Siwoo's presentation filmed at different angles,” Wonwoo shamelessly admitted. “Mingyu's aerial view, Jihoon can do low angles, Dokyeom’s close ups and Jeonghan do wide.”

“What about me?” Minghao raised a ring embellished hand.

“You're here for ethnic diversity,” Wonwoo replied.

“That's fucked up,” Minghao said and immediately looked around, he'd forgotten he was around children and parents who probably weren't enthused by the idea of cussing.

“I'm kidding, you just focus on photography,” Wonwoo said before looking at his wristwatch. “I need to hand Siwoo over to Soonyoung, you just sit tight and look pretty and do your best not to cause a scene.”

“We'll try,” Jeonghan said, he couldn't make any promises.

As they waited, Jeonghan's eyes wandered around looking at the various displays of art that took up the walls. The finger paintings and crudely drawn self portraits made him smile. He'd never been much of an artist but he enjoyed it. It brought back memories of him and Dokyeom on the living room floor doodling on the newspapers their dad would bring home after his day at work. Mingyu must've noticed the change in his behaviour, the younger man immediately reached over to hold his hand.

“What are you thinking about?” Mingyu asked.

“Have you ever thought about what it'd be like to be parents?” Jeonghan looked up at his lover.

“I'd be lying if I said it never crossed my mind,” Mingyu replied. “I don't think about it too often but when I see Siwoo there's a part of me that does get curious.”

“I guess we both have the same mindset,” Jeonghan tightened his grip on Mingyu's fingers. “The thought crosses my mind as well but it's just a pleasant dream.”

“My mom once said sometimes our dreams are a window into a different universe. One where both of us exist but doing completely different things, who knows, maybe you and I might be parents in a parallel universe,” Mingyu smiled softly.

“Funny you say that,” Jeonghan returned Mingyu's smile with one of his own. “I always imagined the two of us living in a nice little blue house converted into a coffee shop with a garden out front.”

“You and I might be having the same dreams,” Mingyu said, his thumb caressing back and forth on Jeonghan's palm. “I keep seeing the image of you and a little boy in your arms.”

“You and I have definitely been together for too long if we're sharing the same dreams,” Jeonghan chuckled, it was a nice thought but again it was just a daydream. “Any name come to mind when you see this little boy?”

“Daehan,” Mingyu answered almost too quickly.

“Daehan?” Jeonghan cocked a brow. “Awfully patriotic, don't you think?”

“Kim Daehan has a nice ring to it,” Mingyu argued.

“I guess it would make sense to give him a strong name considering he'll probably grow up to be a palm tree,” Jeonghan acknowledged.

“Don't height shame our son,” Mingyu pouted.

Jeonghan laughed as he turned his attention over to the small podium set up for the children to do their presentations. The room's chatter lowered into whispers and then to complete silence. Moments later a flustered Kwon Soonyoung scurried out to address the room of parents. The man looked slightly disheveled from looking after his students.

“Thank you parents, guardians and special guests for attending our end of term presentation. I know you all have busy schedules so it means a lot to me and all the students that you're all here. The children have been working on their presentations for quite a while so please make sure to give them all the applause they deserve,” Soonyoung clapped his hands together and straightened his back.

The presentations were what you'd expect to come from small children. It was similar to a ‘show and tell’ session but the children were reading off a sheet of paper they'd written themselves. Some children were monotone in their delivery, some overly enthusiastic and a few who cried after seeing the room full of adults. It was very endearing. After several presentations of children giving detailed speeches about their favourite animals, it was Siwoo's turn.

Jeonghan got out his phone as did the rest of his little group and started filming. The brunette smiled to himself seeing Jeon Siwoo waddle out and step onto the podium with his chubby hands holding onto a small stack of flashcards. The boy had flashcards, that was adorable. Siwoo adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat as he began his presentation.

“Ehem,” the four year old looked around the room. “Penguins are very interesting animals. They are flightless birds so they cannot fly, instead they used their flippers to swim as they hunt in the water. Penguins are found in the southern hemisphere with the Galapagos Penguin being the only species who sometimes move above the equator line into the northern hemisphere.”

Jeonghan continued to smile.

“They have adapted to live in the cold and they eat different types of fish and sea creatures and are easily identi-identi...identified by their black and white appearance,” Siwoo quickly moved past his little reading mishap. “My favourite penguin is the Gentoo penguin because of Sphen and Magic, two male Gentoo penguins at the Sydney Sealife Aquarium who fostered and incubated an egg because the real parents abandoned it.”

Jeonghan immediately heard small whimpers come from Dokyeom and Mingyu. Both his younger brother and Mingyu had started crying. He also felt a lump form in his throat as he looked over at Soonyoung who was peeking at Siwoo through the doorway to the waiting room.

“The two penguins kept the egg warm and safe and it reminds me of how my dads keep me warm and safe,” Siwoo looked at Wonwoo and waved before doing the same for Soonyoung. “That's why I think penguins are really cool. Thank you.”

“That was beautiful!” Dokyeom sobbed.

“A woke king!” Mingyu agreed.

“Did he just make a speech about gay penguins?” Jihoon cocked a brow.

“Yup and it's going on my Instagram story,” Minghao said with a click of his fingers.

“You sure we don't have room for another addition to the family?” Mingyu suddenly rested his head on Jeonghan's shoulder.

“I'll think about it,” Jeonghan ruffled his lover's hair.

“We could just take Siwoo,” Mingyu suggested.

“We’re not stealing their baby!” Jeonghan slapped Mingyu in the back of the head.

* * *

 

Soonyoung wiped away the wetness around his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, he wasn't expecting to cry hearing a speech about penguins. Siwoo had refused to let him see his speech up until the presentation and now he knew why, the boy wanted to give him a surprise. He definitely achieved his goal. As the four year old sauntered over to him, he slowly lowered himself so they were at eye level with one another.

“You did great, bud,” Soonyoung smiled.

“Can I call you Soonyoung-appa instead of Soonyoung-hyung now?” Siwoo asked, his hands twiddling with his flashcards.

“Please, say yes,” Wonwoo's low voice chimed in.

Soonyoung picked up the four year old and smiled over at Wonwoo before giving both a quick peck.

“Yes, a million times yes,” Soonyoung nodded.

“I'm sorry to break up this beautiful moment but I have bad news,” Jihoon announced.

“What is it?” Wonwoo glanced at the shorter man.

“Dokyeom had his thumb over half of the camera, Mingyu's sobbing throughout the video and Minghao’s exploiting your son on Instagram,” Jihoon replied with a straight face. “Me and Jeonghan are the only ones who didn't fuck up.”

“Two out of five, good enough,” Wonwoo wasn't too bothered.

Jihoon gave a simple nod and wandered away.

“You really okay with me being part of the family?” Soonyoung asked Siwoo.

“A group of penguins are called a waddle, if it's just me and dad it would just be a couple of penguins, I want to be a waddle,” Siwoo answered.

Soonyoung had no words, he simply opened himself up and let the father and son take up every single bit of free room his heart had to offer. He suddenly became a big fan of penguins too.

"By the way, I got your dad's approval," Wonwoo whispered in Soonyoung's ear. "I'm ready to make it official if you are, just pick a date and we can make it happen."

"I don't need anything fancy like that," Soonyoung shook his head. "You're both more than enough."

The three of them stood huddled together swaying back and forth with the knowledge that they were a real family. Soonyoung felt full and complete, it was absolutely breathtaking.

* * *

 

“So parenthood is definitely on the table?” Mingyu asked as they walked hand in hand.

“It's on the table,” Jeonghan nodded. “It's just on the very edge of the table.”

Mingyu sighed but he was happy to hear it was on the table at all. As the two waited for the rest of the group, Mingyu's eyes wandered. He looked at the small tables and chairs and noticed a small boy sitting alone by himself with a blue pencil in his hand. The boy's eyes stared blankly at the paper, as if his mind was somewhere else. Jeonghan must've noticed his lingering gaze as he too started staring at the younger boy. The brunette took the initiative and tugged on Mingyu's hand and pulled him along. He looked at the picture the boy had drawn, his mouth fell open when he saw the drawing. The drawing was of a blue house with a garden out front -- similar to the one he saw in his dreams.

“You're pretty good, kid,” Mingyu suddenly addressed the boy.

The boy looked up at Mingyu, his expression vacant before he returned to his drawing. Jeonghan knew there was no reason why he should've felt a connection with the young boy but he did. He wanted to know more about him.

“Hey Soonyoung,” the brunette called the preschool teacher over.

“What's up?” Soonyoung hurried over.

“The kid over there, why's he by himself? I didn't see him do a speech earlier either,” Jeonghan pointed.

“Ah,” Soonyoung nodded upon seeing who Jeonghan was so curious about.

“That's Jun,” Soonyoung answered. “He's currently under foster care, he was found on a beach a few months ago. Apparently they couldn't locate any of his family and the poor kid couldn't remember anything after he was resuscitated. The lack of oxygen did a number on his head.”

“So he's all by himself,” Jeonghan concluded.

“Sadly,” Soonyoung nodded. “He's a sweet kid, he just needs some love and some time to heal. I just hope he can find someone to take him in before they move him to the next foster home.”

“Can you give me the details of his foster parents?” Jeonghan looked over at Soonyoung, he was dead serious.

“Jeonghan,” Soonyoung's eyes widened.

“Please.”

“Give me a second,” Soonyoung disappeared into the staff room.

Jeonghan turned his attention back over to the boy who was now drawing on a different sheet of paper. Mingyu was sat opposite the boy trying his best to fit his massive body under the table as he too started doodling. Jeonghan joined them.

“You must really like blue,” Jeonghan said, his fingers sliding over a sky blue coloured pencil that had rolled away.

The little boy looked up at him, his eyes widened for a split second.

“You look like someone I know,” the boy said.

“I do?” Jeonghan cocked his head.

“An important person.”

“I feel the same,” Jeonghan smiled.

“I'm Junhui,” the boy reached out his hand.

Jeonghan immediately took it, the boy's little hand felt so warm, so familiar despite never having met before.

“Nice to meet you, Junhui,” the brunette's words came out as a whisper. “I'm Jeonghan.”

It looked like they weren't going to leave any time soon and Jeonghan had no complaints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you got the reference!~ This epilogue is just me trying to make y'all cry. 
> 
> I liked the idea of this universe being a parallel of the universe of 'A Warm Cup of Milk.' I had a dream where I saw Jun's character returning to his childhood form while drawing in only blue pencils on paper. It made me think. What if after he died, his soul was transported into another universe where he gets another chance to see Jeonghan. He doesn't remember his previous life but his heart knows Jeonghan meant something to him. 
> 
> Thank you again to all the people who have read all my stories, it really does make my day.
> 
> I will be gone for a little while but I'll be back with more gyuhan soon. Remember, the key word for the next story is "Kitsune." 
> 
> Also, let's make YMMD 2.0 a success! 
> 
> \- SINCERELY,  
> HIKARIYUKIX/LILY


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